After reportedly issuing the team an ultimatum, the Blue Jays released Vladimir Guerrero on Tuesday morning. (SI.com)

Hector Gomez, sports editor for Z101, a leading radio station in the Domincian Republic passed along some interesting quotes (translated) from Guerrero this morning via Twitter:

“I left the team, right now I am at home in Anaheim. I was not treated as a professional. I am not a boy,” one tweet read.

“Last night after the game, I sent my letter of resignation to the organization. I am not a boy, I demand respect,” read another.

“I proved I’m ready. I have nothing more to prove in the minors,” Guerrero added.

The thing, though, is that Guerrero barely proved anything in the minors.

Signed to a minor league contract on May 10, Guerrero appeared in a handful of extended spring training games before reporting to Advanced-A Dunedin. There, he did what any player that considers himself big-league ready should do, which was absolutely rake against minor league pitchers nearly half his age. In four games, Guerrero went 9-for-20 with one double, four home runs and eight RBI.

In a potential stepping stone to his return to the Majors, Guerrero reported to Triple-A Las Vegas at the beginning of June. There, however, he hit just .214 (6-for-28) with two doubles in his first seven games, before leaving early after getting hit on the hand with a pitch in Saturday’s contest against Fresno. When he returned to action last night, he went 4-for-5 in only his second multi-hit game with the 51s this season, with a triple and two RBI before reportedly leaving the team after the game.

With David Cooper deserving an extended look at first base after hitting .314 with an .842 OPS in 15 games this season and Edwin Encarnacion leading the Jays offense with a .934 OPS out of the DH spot, there really wasn’t any room for Guerrero. especially when factoring in the Blue Jays’ upcoming schedule. Though they have two AL-rule interleague series against the Nationals and Phillies at Rogers Centre this week, the Blue Jays hit the road for three-game series in Milwaukee and Miami next week. Guerrero, a DH at most, would have limited the Blue Jays’ flexibility as a bat off the bench, which was a big reason why Yan Gomes, capable of playing at least four positions, was called up prior to the Jays’ series in Atlanta last week.

While Guerrero might feel that he’s major league-ready, it’s a selfish move on his part to demand a call-up. Including extended spring training, he probably appeared in a total of 15 games–a relatively light workload for someone that had been out of the game since last year. According to ESPNdeportes, there might have been an agreement between the Blue Jays and Guerrero where a decision on his big-league future would had to have been made by June 10, or one month from the date he signed his contract. That was extended when Guerrero got hit in the hand, which might have been his reason for comments like this one:

Would it have been a bad thing for Guerrero to log extra at-bats in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League while the Blue Jays completed their interleague schedule in NL parks? Not at all. Then, if he was still hitting when the Blue Jays rolled into Boston on the 25th, it could have been easier for him to force the Jays’ hand to make a move. Even in that scenario, though, a roster spot for Guerrero would have been far from guaranteed.

I, like many people, would have liked to see Guerrero join the Blue Jays, if for no other reason than because of closely watching him for so many years with the Expos. Considering that I’m in Las Vegas for the rest of the week to watch 51s games as well, surely I would have enjoyed seeing him with the team. But with Vlad’s refusal to log more time in the minors and demand a call-up instead, the Blue Jays were smart to cut ties with the former AL MVP and continue on with their season as originally planned.

Win Some

Some fans will disagree with me, but I’m ecstatic that the Jays did not add Eric Chavez to their bench for the 2011 season. If he had been added, he would have either taken a bench spot away from a younger – better – healthier option, or would have taken Brett Lawrie‘s spot in AAA at the hot corner, which would have either pushed him down to AA or to another position. Either one is a bad option at this point and the Jays are better off with him in New York. (more…)

As Mat pointed out in his article on here after the Jays claimed Ledezma off waivers from the Pirates, the Jays are familiar with him, as they signed him to a Minor League contract in 2009.

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The Blue Jays weren’t involved, and sure, eight player trades are more of a rarity nowadays, but why should Jays fans care about this deal?

Image courtesy of Bleacher Report

Reason #1

The first reason is the most obvious one: Matt Garza is no longer in the American League. Jays fans should be rejoicing and partying in the streets over this one, because Garza was one of the Jays’ biggest headaches on the Rays’ roster.

Outside of James Shields, no starting pitcher on the Rays’ staff had faced the Jays more. In Garza’s 13 starts against Toronto, the Jays mustered just a .294 on base percentage and .320 slugging percentage against him, good for a .615 OPS. The Jays posted their lowest OPS against Garza in his career over any of Garza’s teammates that included James Shields (.783 OPS), David Price (.663 OPS),  Wade Davis (.667 OPS), and Jeff Niemann (.688 OPS). Garza had faced the Jays more than any other team aside from the Boston Red Sox, and to make matters worse, excluding his one appearance against the Phillies and Padres, the Jays had the lowest OPS against Garza out of all the teams he had faced in his career. (more…)