Toronto Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set an MLB record on Tuesday, becoming the youngest player to hit three home runs and log seven RBI in one game. 

Guerrero, who turned 22 on March 16, was almost solely responsible for the Blue Jays' run total as they battled the Washington Nationals with a 9-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth.

He got things going with a grand slam in the bottom of the third, putting the Blue Jays up 4-3.

VLADDY JR. GRAND SLAM 😤

That ball was crushed

(via @BlueJays)pic.twitter.com/h1oJ58vCBP

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2021

The hit snapped a streak of 17 scoreless innings for Nationals starter Max Scherzer. 

But the onslaught wasn't over. Guerrero launched a solo shot in the bottom of fifth to increase the distance to 7-3, then logged a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh. 

VLADDY JR. AGAIN 😱

This man is on FIRE

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/IFONm8MbMY

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2021

THREE homers. SEVEN RBI.

He's here 💥 pic.twitter.com/IYutrypJwU

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 28, 2021

The first baseman now has seven home runs on the season, putting him one off the league lead that is currently held by Ronald Acuna and Rhys Hoskins. He launched nine in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and had 15 as a rookie through 123 games in 2019. 

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer will have to wait longer to make his 2021 debut for his new team.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Springer is awaiting the results of an MRI on a quadriceps injury. He started the season on the injured list with a strained left oblique muscle but was perhaps going to play Thursday prior to the quad setback.

The 31-year-old joined the Blue Jays on a six-year, $150 million deal during the offseason, ending his seven-year Houston career. The three-time All-Star helped the Astros win two American League pennants and the 2017 World Series.

Springer won the World Series MVP in 2017 after hitting .379 with five home runs in a seven-game series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Connecticut native was an excellent power hitter by the time his Houston tenure ended, as he smacked 53 homers in 173 regular-season games over the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He added eight more dingers during the 2019 and 2020 playoffs, continuing his dominance over a postseason career that includes 19 homers.

He signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays on Jan. 23 but started the regular season on the 10-day injured list with the Grade 2 oblique strain.

Randal Grichuk has replaced Springer in the lineup in his absence and figures to do so again, forming an outfield with Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer will begin the regular season in the injured list. 

Manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters on Wednesday that Springer will be placed on the injured list with a Grade 2 strain of his left oblique. 

Springer hasn't played in a game since March 21 and only appeared in 10 games throughout spring training. 

Montoyo told reporters last week that Springer had progressed to hitting off of a tee, but they were still taking a day-to-day approach with him before making a final determination about his status for the season opener. 

The 31-year-old Springer is a key part of the Toronto lineup, as the three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger award winner signed a six-year contract with the Blue Jays during the offseason.

Springer spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Houston Astros, and he was a big factor again last season, hitting .265 with 14 home runs and 32 RBI during the COVID-shortened campaign.

Entering last season, Springer hit 29 or more home runs in three of the previous four seasons. The 2019 season was unquestionably Springer's best as an MLB player, as he hit .292 with a career-high 39 homers and 96 RBI. Springer also scored 96 runs, marking the fourth consecutive season in which he scored at least that many.

The Blue Jays are stacked with young offensive talent, but they needed a veteran with championship experience to tie it all together, and Springer undoubtedly fits the profile, as he was the 2017 World Series MVP.

With Springer in the fold, the Blue Jays' young stars now have an example to strive toward on a daily basis.

For as long as Springer is out, the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and others must step up and anchor the Toronto offense.

In terms of who will replace Springer, veteran Randal Grichuk could see additional time in center field, while Jonathan Davis may find himself in the lineup more often as well.

The Blue Jays will play the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the 2021 season opener on Thursday afternoon. 

If you're looking for any weight-loss tips, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is apparently the man to see.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Guerrero said he's not only down 42 pounds this offseason but also that shedding the weight was "fun" and "wasn't difficult."

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shared on zoom that he’s lost 42 lbs this offseason.

“It was fun.. wasn’t difficult”

“I feel quicker on all aspects of my game, right now... defensively & offensively.”

Spoke with team officials this offseason about playing both 3rd and 1st. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/RS5OIMqxkJ

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) February 24, 2021

The Blue Jays list the 21-year-old at 6'2" and 250 pounds, so he might be looking a lot different when he takes the field in 2021.

Given how highly touted he was coming out of the minors, Guerrero didn't quite reach the heights you would've expected in his second MLB season. He finished with nine home runs, 33 RBI and a .791 OPS in 2020, per Baseball Reference.

A player saying he's in the "best shape of his life" is one of the most common tropes in spring training. It feels a little different when the player in question was once a top prospect who's still in his early 20s.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Thursday they're going to play all home games through at least May 2 at TD Ballpark, their spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida, because of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel between the United States and Canada.

Blue Jays Update On 2021 Home Location: pic.twitter.com/b2Eu5iknjs

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) February 18, 2021

Toronto played most of its 2020 home schedule at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York.

The Canadian government eliminated all non-essential travel into its country and restricted those entering to Canadian citizens and residents and foreign nationals who meet eligibility requirements. Everyone must produce a negative COVID-19 test before entry.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added to the guidelines in late January, saying those who entered the country must also embark on a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

"Those with negative test results will then be able to quarantine at home under significantly increased surveillance and enforcement," Trudeau said.

The restrictions led the NHL, which features seven Canadian franchises, to create a Canada-only division for its 2021 season. Those teams only face each other to prevent travel between countries.

Meanwhile, MLB and the NBA only have one team apiece in Canada and both are based in Toronto (the Blue Jays and Raptors).

The Raptors announced last week they will play the remainder of their 2020-21 season at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida. They'd previously kept open the possibility of a return to Canada for the second half of the season.

Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reported the Blue Jays will evaluate their options as May moves closer, and, if a return to Rogers Centre isn't available, the team may consider relocating to Buffalo for a second straight year, though there would be logistical issues with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons set to resume play.

TD Ballpark has a maximum capacity of 8,500 compared to 16,600 in Buffalo and nearly 50,000 in Toronto, though sports attendance remains limited or nonexistent depending on local coronavirus guidelines.

With pandemic-induced restrictions still in place on the U.S.-Canada border, the Toronto Blue Jays are flying south for the spring.  

According to Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, MLB's only Canada-based team will begin the 2021 season at its spring training ballpark in Dunedin, Florida.

The Blue Jays were forced to spend the shortened 2020 campaign in Buffalo, New York, at the home of their Triple-A affiliate, due to border restrictions.

At least two homestands are affected by the decision: April 8-14 against the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees and April 27-May 2 against the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves, per Davidi and Nicholson-Smith. 

A third homestand, May 14-24, is pending "in the hopes the border opens up and allow for a return" to Toronto.

The team is planning to have fans in the stands for spring training games in Florida at 15 percent capacity (about 1,275), but plans for the regular season have yet to be announced. Fans attending spring training games will be allowed to do so in pods of two or four seats with face coverings and symptom screening required.

In the move to Florida, the Blue Jays will follow the lead of the NBA's Toronto Raptors, who have been playing in Tampa. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been able to stay in Canada due to the NHL's new divisions, which pit all seven of the league's Canadian-based teams against each other during the regular season. 

Yadier Molina is expected to return to the St. Louis Cardinals, but the Toronto Blue Jays aren't giving up their pursuit of the nine-time All-Star. 

Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Blue Jays "have been in contact" with Molina. 

Heyman noted a "couple other teams," including Toronto, are still in play for the veteran catcher. 

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported last Friday that Molina is expected to sign a one-year contract with the Cardinals after the Caribbean Series wraps up. 

Molina is playing for the Puerto Rican squad in the series, which is scheduled to end Feb. 6. 

A number of MLB teams have been connected to Molina throughout the offseason. 

In a Spanish-language interview on Mas Que Pelota with Laura Bonnelly (h/t MLB insider Hector Gomez) that took place in November, Molina said the New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels "have shown interest," but his preference is to stay with the Cardinals. 

There did seem to be a potential opening in December for Molina to leave St. Louis when Mark Saxon of The Athletic reported the 38-year-old turned down an offer his camp called "ridiculous." 

Catcher is one of the few unsettled positions for the Blue Jays heading into this season. Danny Jansen is the incumbent starter, but he has hit .201/.288/.360 over the past two years. 

Molina has spent his entire career with the Cardinals after being a fourth-round draft pick in 2000. He has won nine Gold Glove awards and has a .281/.333/.404 slash line in 17 MLB seasons. 

Left-handed starting pitcher Francisco Liriano and the Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly agreed to a minor league contract, per Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun.

Liriano will be a non-roster invitee to training camp, per Longley. MLB.com defines one as follows:

"A non-roster invite (NRI) is an invitation for a player who is not on a club's 40-man roster to attend Major League camp in Spring Training and compete for a roster spot. Clubs can extend NRIs to their upper-level Minor Leaguers and also include NRIs in Minor League contracts given to free agents in the offseason."

Per Shi Davidi of Sportnet, Liriano will receive $1.5 million plus performance bonuses if he makes the Jays.

Liriano has taken the field for 14 seasons (2005-2006, 2008-2019) on six teams. He started his career with the Minnesota Twins in 2005 and took the league by storm in 2006, going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 121 innings. He finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting and made the All-Star team.

Unfortunately, Liriano missed the entire 2007 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He has gone 99-109 with a 4.28 ERA and 1.39 WHIP ever since.

Liriano has enjoyed some very good seasons in his career, which includes time with the Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates (two stints), Blue Jays, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers.

He finished 11th in the AL Cy Young voting in 2010 for Minnesota and ninth in the National League Cy Young voting in 2013 for Pittsburgh. The latter year was arguably his finest since 2006, as he went 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 161 frames.

Liriano's last MLB action occurred as a Pirates reliever in 2019, when he went 5-3 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 63 punchouts in 70 frames. He opted out of the 2020 MLB season amid the COVID-19 pandemic despite having "multiple guaranteed offers" on the table, per Robert Murray of FanSided.

Now the door is open for a potential return to Toronto, where Liriano played during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

The Toronto Blue Jays continued establishing themselves as a major contender in the American League on Tuesday, signing Marcus Semien only days after inking outfielder George Springer to a six-year, $150 million contract, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. 

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Semien's deal north of the border is for one year, $18 million, though he instantly joins one of the most exciting infields in baseball. Rosenthal noted it's likely he'll line up at second base to begin the year.

Here's how the roster looks after Tuesday's news.

  

Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart

C. Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk

1B. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rowdy Tellez, Cavan Biggio

2B. Marcus Semien, Cavan Biggio

3B. Cavan Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

SS. Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien,

OF: Lourdes Gurriel Jr., George Springer, Randal Grichuk, Teoscar Hernandez, Derek Fisher, Jonathan Davis

DH: Teoscar Hernandez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, Marcus Semien

SP: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Nate Pearson, Tanner Roark, Robbie Ray, Tyler Chatwood, Trent Thornton 

RP: Kirby Yates, Jordan Romano, Anthony Kay, Ross Stripling, Rafael Dolis, Jacob Waguespack, Ryan Borucki, T.J. Zeuch, Patrick Murphy, A.J. Cole, Thomas Hatch, Shun Yamaguchi, Julian Merryweather

   

Outlook

Even on a one-year deal, there's no question Semien makes Toronto a World Series threat. 

The shortstop slashed .223/.305/.374 with 23 RBI and seven home runs over 53 games last season, a down year for a player who finished third in AL MVP voting in 2019. Before 2020's truncated schedule, Semien's batting average had only dipped below .250 just twice since becoming an everyday player. 

Add that to the slugging prowess of Valdimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Springer and the Blue Jays have built a lineup relatively devoid of easy outs. 

There's also no question this isn't a gamble for the former Oakland Athletics star. Semien will once again be playing for his future as he prepares to test out free agency in a potentially post-pandemic market in 2022. As long as his play resembles what he did in 2019 more so than what he did in 2020, Semien should have no trouble winning this one. 

The Blue Jays will happily reap the benefits of watching him try. 

Marcus Semien agreed to a one-year, $18 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Dec. 14 that Semien looked likely to resolve his future soon. Interested suitors also viewed him as a cost-effective solution ahead of the 2021 offseason:

"Although the 30-year-old Semien is unlikely to command the kind of deal that will take him deep into his 30s, one executive said he appreciates Semien for his steadiness, versatility, makeup and, yes, price point. What he meant: Semien isn't going to cost nine figures like the shortstops in the mega-class of 2021-22. Some teams are already preparing for the shortstopalooza of next offseason, which, barring extensions, will feature Javier Baez, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager and Trevor Story—five All-Stars, all of whom will hit free agency at 28 or younger."

After winding up third in the American League MVP voting in 2019, Semien took a step backward in 2020. He finished with seven home runs, 23 RBI and a .223/.305/.374 slash line in 53 games, and his slugging percentage was 121st among qualified hitters.

The Oakland Athletics won the American League West by seven games but lost to the Houston Astros in the AL Division Series. Semien acknowledged he started wondering in the previous round, when Oakland was one loss away from elimination, whether his time in the Bay Area was drawing to a close.

"I thought about that in the wild-card series," he said, per Shayna Rubin of the Mercury News. "I'm pretty logistical. I understand what's going on with everything and our backs were against the wall a couple of times … I took the field in the bottom of the eighth thinking, 'Is this my last time playing shortstop for this team?' I don't know."

Semien didn't get to profit too much from his monster performance two seasons ago. Under team control for one more year, he re-signed with the A's for $13 million to avoid arbitration, a figure that was lowered to $4.8 million because of the prorated pay structure of the 60-game regular season.

Because of the pandemic, another MVP-caliber campaign still might not have been enough to secure him a big long-term payday. His production at the plate put another dent in his earning power.

However, Semien could prove to be a big bargain for the Blue Jays.

It's tough to judge players too harshly based on their 2020 numbers. They played far fewer games than usual, and the pandemic also curtailed spring training and limited the extent to which they could train.

Semien also suffered a minor injury in his left side in September. If the problem arose well before that, it could also help explain why he nearly set a personal low for slugging percentage. He also had a .260 batting average on balls in play, well below his career average (.294). Having better luck could do wonders for his average.

According to Baseball Savant, Semien's exit velocity (86.2 mph) was down, and his launch angle (19.3 degrees) spiked compared to 2019. That's a recipe to wind up with far more flyouts and explained why his home run-to-fly ball ratio went from 15.3 percent to 9.3 percent.

It's a good idea to view Semien's 2019 campaign as a bit of an outlier and look at his ceiling as an above-average shortstop rather than one of MLB's elite position players. Even by that standard, he's a solid addition to Toronto's infield.

          

Stats are courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.