Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. now says would play for Yankees

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When it rains, it pours for Blue Jays fans.

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In a season that seems to get worse by the day, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on Monday said that he wouldn’t have any issues playing for the rival New York Yankees.

This is a bold reverse course for the star first baseman, who in 2022 said that he would never play for the Bronx Bombers, even if he was “dead.”

Speaking with Spanish outlet Virus Deportivo before the Jays 7-6 loss to the Red Sox in Boston, Vladdy changed his tune about potentially donning pinstripes.

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“I’m a worker. I’m a professional,” Guerrero said when asked if he’d play for the Yankees if traded there. “I go out on the field to play.”

He also walked back his previous comments about the AL East leaders, who feature two of the best hitters in the game, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

“I talked with my dad, I talked with my family. Sometimes you say things that, it’s not like that,” Guerrero said. “I didn’t hold back what I said about the Yankees. But what I say is that the organization understands me.

“I’m a player that the (Yankees), that they need me with, or if they do something, it’s because they need me, obviously. I’ll be happy to help any team.”

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Last year, Guerrero had doubled down on not wanting to play for the Yankees while referencing his dad’s Hall of Fame career and never wanting to play in the Big Apple.

Vladdy also has enjoyed antagonizing the Bronx Bombers, shushing the Yankee Stadium crowd after a home run earlier this year despite trailing 9-2.

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With the Blue Jays sitting last in the AL East at 35-43 and a whopping 16 games behind the Yankees while riding a seven-game losing streak heading into Tuesday’s action, it’s easy to understand why Vladdy might have changed his mind.

Guerrero has been a rare bright spot for the club. He leads the team in batting average, hits, OBP and RBIs, and his 10 home runs are just one behind Daulton Varsho’s 11.

He also ranks second in all-star voting at first base for the American League. Last year, he won the home run derby at the event hosted in Seattle.

The Yankees might have a need at first base, too. Anthony Rizzo recently suffered a fractured arm, leaving a hole in their lineup.

Guerrero is under team control through next season, which could make him attractive to playoff contenders like the Yankees and also bring in a bigger return for the Jays, unlike pending free agents viewed as rentals.

With the July 30 trade deadline fast approaching and the Jays continuing to slide further from relevance, trade rumours will continue to heat up at Rogers Centre.

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