It’s almost impossible to squander all the goodwill that came with last year’s Blue Jays run to the World Series, and yet Vladimir Guerrero Jr. found a way to do it in a matter of seconds.
asserted
Jr. → ’ → seconds
Fresh off signing a $500-million (U.S.) contract, he delivered one of the best post-seasons in recent memory, slugging eight home runs over three rounds and coming within a few feet of a Game 7 walk-off for the championship.
asserted
he → sign → championship
All of that seems so long ago now.
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All → seem → that
The power from one of baseball’s supposed top sluggers has completely vanished, taking the Jays from first to worst in the American League East.
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power → suppose → East
That put Guerrero front and centre in one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
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That → put → history
Sure, there were critics and the usual complaints on social media, but inside the Rogers Centre there was rarely anything more than a smattering of boos when he failed to produce.
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he → be → boos
If this had been New York or Boston, fans would have been calling for his head.
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fans → call → head
The reception here has been much more polite, but that figures to change — the Jays’ final home series starts Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds — after Guerrero stuck a foot in his mouth during a recent interview with Dominican reporter Veronica Batista.
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Guerrero → figure → Batista
“The money they gave me wasn’t for what I’m going to do,” Guerrero said in Spanish.
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Guerrero → give → Spanish
They didn’t pay me because I’m going to hit 40 (home runs) every year, they paid me for what I already accomplished.
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I → pay → what
What he already accomplished?
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he → accomplish → What
When Guerrero signed the deal last spring, he still hadn’t accomplished much of anything.
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he → sign → anything
There was an MVP-calibre season in 2021 when he spent a large portion playing in the small confines of Dunedin, Fla.
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he → be → Dunedin
Guerrero was a very good player from the moment he arrived in 2019, but had yet to turn into the generational talent he was billed as.
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he → arrive → talent
The Jays knew that when they took a giant leap of faith by giving Guerrero the largest contract in club history.
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they → know → history
In doing so, they anointed him the leader of the franchise for the next 14 years.
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they → do → years
Team president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins did that under the assumption Guerrero’s best was still to come.
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best → do → assumption
He rewarded them with an epic run through the playoffs.
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He → reward → playoffs
It was the kind of clutch performance that proved he could elevate his game when it was needed the most, and solidified his standing among the game’s elite.
uncertain
it → prove → elite
Toronto fans love their blue-collar role players, and are typically less friendly to athletes they feel are overpaid.
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they → love → athletes
There’s a long list — Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, heck even the great Carlos Delgado — who were adored right up until they signed long-term extensions.
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they → ’ → extensions
After putting pen to paper, they were criticized nonstop.
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they → put → paper
Perhaps it was inevitable that Guerrero would eventually go down a similar path, but few expected him to do it with a canister of gasoline and a match just so he could watch it all burn.
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it → go → gasoline
That’s essentially what happened Wednesday.
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what → ’ → ?
And based on how Guerrero doubled down on his comments when given a chance to clarify, I don’t think he’s fully aware of the damage done to his reputation.
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he → base → reputation
Those comments, which can no longer be defended by claims that they were lost in translation, were nonsensical.
uncertain
they → defend → translation
Arbitration-eligible players get paid for past production.
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players → pay → production
Aging athletes nearing the end of a career sometimes do, too.
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athletes → age → career
They can use past performance as leverage, but they are paid for what they will do in the future.
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they → use → future
Guerrero is 27 years old and signed through his age-40 season.
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Guerrero → sign → season
Every dollar of that contract is a bet on what comes next, and he just told everyone he doesn’t see it that way.
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he → come → it
What he failed to realize is that prior to 2025 he was already a polarizing figure.
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he → fail → 2025
He arrived in Toronto with a level of hype never seen before, and as a result nothing he did early on was ever good enough.
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he → arrive → result
Social media, sports talk radio and my inbox were always littered with complaints about Guerrero’s weight, his apparent unwillingness to run out every ground ball, and what some viewed as child-like behaviour with home-run jackets and Gatorade showers.
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some → litter → jackets
I always felt most of that criticism was unfair.
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most → feel → criticism
I’ve seen the time he puts into hitting in the cage before and after games.
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he → see → games
I’ve seen the intense disappointment in his face after a big loss.
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I → see → loss
I’ve also been around athletes who didn’t care and Guerrero isn’t one of them, which is what makes his latest comments so discouraging, regardless of the intent.
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comments → care → intent
No, I don’t think this is like when Vince Carter told everyone he was done dunking with the Raptors.
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he → think → Raptors
I also don’t believe Guerrero meant he no longer cares whether or not he hits 40 home runs.
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he → believe → runs
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
