Vladimir Guerrero Jr. injury scare should sway front office to reunite former slugger

In back to back games against the Guardians, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit by a pitch. Intentional or not, tempers flared when Guerrero Jr. exited the game after getting plunked on the wrist. He sat a day, but returned to the lineup looking fine, leading Toronto to another series win over Boston. That injury scare though leaves a big question for the front office. What are the Blue Jays' plans if Guerrero Jr. does hit the injured list at any point?

On the major league roster, their depth there is thin. Spencer Horwitz was the main backup in 2024, but he was dealt in an odd trade this offseason, bouncing from Cleveland to Pittsburgh. Will Wagner had high expectations on this roster too, but he struggled, taking him to the minors. He is back now though after posting a .792 OPS in Triple-A.

So what would be next beyond that? Ernie Clement played first base when Guerroro Jr. needed a day off, but he has not played very much in his career there. He is much more valuable across the infield. There is a free agent that could help stabilize Toronto's first base spot that they should consider.

The Blue Jays should consider bringing back Rowdy Tellez to help first base depth behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Rowdy Tellez was recently released from the Mariners, but he honestly was not even that bad. He was slightly below average at the plate, posting a 92 wRC+ with 11 home runs and a .682 OPS. Obviously not good enough for Seattle's playoff push, but still not awful.

The only problem he had this year was not making consistent contact. Tellez had a bad whiff rate of 28.3%, leading to a 26.5% strikeout rate. Despite this, when he did make contact, his barrel rate reached 15.9%, ranking in the 93rd percentile. Additionally, his xSLG reached .504, while his actual SLG was just .434, His hard-hit rate reached 48.4%, along with an average exit velocity of 91.4 mph.

That is a fit for Toronto as they lead baseball as a team with the lowest whiff rate of 21.4%. This coaching staff has done a great job at getting the players to limit the swings and misses. If he gets into this organization, they could really help fix him up to where he gets more quality contact in play. Couldn't hurt at least.

Since he is jobless right now, Toronto should quickly offer a minor league contract ">to the former Blue Jay. The left handed power bat could very well improve the depth at first base, while providing power upside. He may not be what he once was when he blasted 35 homers in a year, but he still could bring a solid tools to a coaching staff that could truly help him.