Blue Jays Morning Brew: Vladdy Jr., Sanchez, and more

The Blue Jays Morning Brew awakes from its slumber with the articles you need to read on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Aaron Sanchez, Dunedin, and much more

Vladdy Jr. in camp  –  A great read here on Sportsnet from my friend Quinton Amundson, who spoke with Vladimir Guerrero and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in Dunedin at the Blue Jays minor league camp. The younger Guerrero (don’t forget he’s Canadian-born!) is hoping to crack the Vancouver Canadians this year, and remains set on reaching the MLB level before his 20th birthday.

“The first reason I’m a fan of the Blue Jays is because it is Canada’s team,” Guerrero Jr. told Amundson through a team translator. “I also knew about Roberto Alomar and about Carlos Delgado even though they were not playing at the time [I became a fan]. I knew a lot about them. I respect them all the time.”

A case for triple-A Sanchez  –  There are few things I love more than a fresh take on a beaten-to-death topic, so like Coca-Cola vending machine in the middle of the desert comes this piece from Matt Gwin of BP Toronto.

More from Jays Journal

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• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

He argues that the Blue Jays should start out Aaron Sanchez as a member of the triple-A Buffalo Bisons rotation, and whether you personally agree or not, the logic is tight. “He can throw as many curveballs, changeups, and cutters as necessary without worrying about results. Then, once he proves that he has mastered his stuff and AAA is no longer a challenge for him, the Jays can call him up.”

Tao does spring training  –  Over at Sportsnet, Tao of Stieb offers up his thoughts from spring training on a variety of topics including Anthony Alford, Randy Choate, Marco Estrada, and the likely new leadoff man Kevin Pillar.

There’s also some praise in there for the spring Darrell Ceciliani is having (I think he’ll surprise by overachieving at triple-A this year and push the Blue Jays’ hand).

Fifth starter update  –  Have you heard there’s a battle for the job of the Toronto Blue Jays’ fifth starting pitcher? Aaron Sanchez and Gavin Floyd, of course, but pitching coach Pete Walker insists it is still a four-man race.

“Right now I think you’ve forgotten a couple of names — Jesse Chavez and of course Drew Hutchison (501759),” he told Jeff Blair.

“We’re going to look at Chavez (Tuesday) and Hutch will pitch (Wednesday) night against the (New York) Yankees with most of their regulars in there, so we’ll have a better indication of where we are after this next go around here and start to get a better feel of what we’re going to do. This could go right down until the end.”

Next: Blue Jays rumours: Encarnacion and team not agreeing on years

Stroman on the cover  –  Staff ace Marcus Stroman will be gracing the cover of this year’s R.B.I. Baseball 16 (it’s a video game, for those of you curiously furrowing your brow). Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts will grace the American cover. With Josh Donaldson the cover boy for MLB The Show 16, it’s a good year for virtual Blue Jays.

Talking Yankees and Jays!  –  And to leave you with some audio to get you through your Wednesday, here is my appearance from last Thursday on the Yanks Go Yard Radio Show with Ricky Keeler. We talk Drew Storen, Roberto Osuna, Marcus Stroman, prospects, and I do my very best to keep things PG-13 when talking about Goose Gossage.