Vlad Guerrero Is Grumpy, Released From Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero has been hobbling around baseball like an old man for the past few years and recently yelled at the Blue Jays to call him up to the Majors or get off his lawn. And his Blue Jay career ended before it ever really began. The Jays signed Vlad, the Pride of Canada, to a Minor League deal that gave him an opt out clause if he wasn't promoted to the Bigs by Monday. After Vladdy slugged 4 homers and .450/.450/1.100 in 20 High-A plate appearances, he was promoted to Triple-A where his .214/.233/.286 didn't inspire enough confidence to promote him.

The 37-year-old Vlad demanded that he not be treated like a child by acting like a child. Dustin Parkes at Getting Blanked translated Hector Gomez's tweets (I'm no beuno with the el-Spanish)...

Promises made to me were not fulfilled. I am not a child. One day I heard one thing and the next day another. I left the team, right now I am at home in Anaheim. I was not treated as a professional. I am not a boy. I proved that I’m ready, I have nothing more to prove in the minors with the numbers that I put. Last night after the game I sent my letter of resignation to the organization. I am not a boy. I demand respect. Let me make it clear I did not take this decision lightly, and had warned it would if I was not satisfied.

Don't get me wrong, I love Vladdy. He was my favorite player before Mike Trout ran away with my heart. But the years of damage to his knees from playing on the concrete carpet in Montreal makes it painful to even watch Vlad attempt to walk. And I'm not talking about taking a base on balls, I'm talking about the physical motion of moving from point A to point B. I love delusion as much as the next guy but I think it's time for Guerrero to hang them up.

Vlad disagrees and the Blue Jays granted his release. Guerrero doesn't want the fork stuck in him just yet. This release doesn't spell retirement, you know, unless nobody pays him to play baseball...

#BlueJays release Vlad at his request, according to agent Bean Stringfellow. He wanted opportunity at major-league level. Not retiring.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 12, 2012

Okay, I didn't realize Vlad's agent's name is Bean Stringfellow. I can't believe General Managers aren't fumbling their checkbooks to fill out the paperwork to sign Vlad. Also, I apparently envision free agent negotiations as a Benny Hill sketch.

Why Is Vlad Guerrero Still Homeless?

Vladimir Guerrero is coming off of a rebound season in 2010 hitting 29 home runs and a .300/.345/.496 slash line. But he was signed to just a one-year deal with Texas and now he's stuck in free agency limbo while the market dries up around him. Guerrero doesn't have many potential landing spots remaining since he didn't opt for the Six Million Dollar Man surgery and runs like an arthritic deer on ice. I love Vladdy but watching him play the outfield in the World Series was embarrassing for everyone involved.

The Orioles seem like the most logical destination because, well, they have officially offered Vlad a deal. The O's are standing pat and aren't willing to budge from their $4.5-5 million offer. But, Buster Olney reported that the famous mystery team has surfaced...

The Vladimir Guerrero talks will gather some momentum in the next 48 hours, one way or another. The Orioles have an offer on the table; last week, Guerrero's side informed them that they had an offer worth $8 million in play. It's not clear which team would have made the $8 million offer.

In this case, I'm inclined to believe the mystery team is actually a figment of the Guerrero camp's imagination. MLB Trade Rumors identified four potential fits for the 35-year-old DH in the Orioles, Blue Jays, Rangers and Angels. It's hard to imagine any of those teams offering $8 million for what would basically have to be a part time designated hitter.

If you take a closer look at his bounce back 2010 numbers, there's cause for more trepidation in offering Vlad a lucrative deal. All you have to do is look at his splits. So maybe the Angels would offer him $8 million and perhaps a couple of extra years to boot.

Vlad has always crushed the ball in Arlington and that certainly gave his 2010 season a boost.

Split	PA	H	2B	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Home	336	98	16	16	.315	.354	.527	.881
Away	307	80	11	13	.284	.336	.461	.796

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/3/2011.

He gave up 31 points of batting average, 18 points of on base percentage and 66 points of slugging percentage. It's not the worst split I've ever seen but it's not an encouraging sign for an aging hitter.

Split	PA	H	2B	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1st Half	354	103	14	20	.319	.364	.554	.919
2nd Half	289	75	13	9	.278	.322	.426	.748

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/3/2011.

Vlad also tired down the stretch and hit .220/.242/.271 in the playoffs. Splitting time might keep him fresher but surely $8 million is too much to pay for a part time hitter.

Let's take a quick look at the projections for Vlad which assume he's going to be an everyday DH.

Bill James
586 PA, 26 HR, .304/.363/.505, .373 wOBA

MARCEL
562 PA, 22 HR, .284/.335/.466, .345 wOBA

James seems high but let's split the difference and call Vlad a .360 wOBA hitter as a full time DH. That would be exactly what his wOBA was in 2010 when he was a 2.6 WAR player. That would make him worth about $10 million for 2011. But as I said, if he signs anywhere but Baltimore, he is likely to be a part time hitter.

The $8 million offer would make sense for one team but, unfortunately for me, that team hasn't been thinking clearly this off-season. Dave Cameron suggested that the Angels sign Vlad but his reasoning makes too much sense for the Halo's front office. The Angels could get some nice production from Guerrero at DH but, more importantly, his playing time could prevent Bobby Abreu's 2012 option from vesting. It's almost too good to be true like a magical clause that could void Vernon Wells' contract.

My guess is that this plays out for another few days and the Orioles kick it up to around $6 million and sign him.

The Offensive Juggernaut Known As The Giants

The funny part about this is that I actually used the offensive juggernaut known as the Giants tag to mock their pitiful lineup throughout the regular season. Turns out the joke was on me. The Giants have now scored 20 runs in the first two games of the World Series. And to my surprise, the Giants destruction of the Rangers pitching hasn't come from the bat of blog favorite Buster Posey. The Giants offensive outburst has come from the unlikely names such as Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Aubrey Huff and Freddy Sanchez. Okay, maybe not Huff so much as he was a pretty good hitter during the regular season.

Still, I don't think anyone imagined the Giants would light up Cliff Lee in Game One and then pin nine runs on the Rangers bullpen in Game Two. Of course, Ron Washington has been managing his bullpen like a Golden Corral that was going in the red because Bengie Molina bought a season pass. Washington's refusal to use his best reliever, Neftali Feliz, in high leverage situations (or at all) continues to boggle everyone's mind.

Speaking of mind boggling, has anybody been watching Matt Cain this post season? He's now started three games and pitched 21.1 scoreless innings. Another scoreless 8 inning performance in Game Six (if necessary) would break Walter Johnson's record for shutout post season innings. Note: I didn't do any real research, I'm just going off of a Jayson Stark tweet that I hope I accurately remember. I'm awesome at journalism.

The Rangers will lean on Japanese League superstar Colby Lewis to cool off the hot bats of the Giants when the series resumes Saturday in Arlington. The Rangers can plug Big Daddy Vladdy back into the lineup as their DH which should help them offensively and defensively. Vlad still crushes lefty pitching so there is still a little hope for Rangers fans if he can get a few good swings against Jonathan Sanchez.

While I never got around to publishing my World Series prediction post, I had the Giants in six. If the Rangers don't turn it around soon, I might look bad for reinserting that pick here.

Vlad Was Terrible In RF, As Expected

In what was a rough night for most Rangers, Vlad Guerrero butchered right field like the no-kneed, no-backed 35-year-old that he is. Don't get me wrong, I still love Vladdy even though he defected from my beloved Halos to the division rival Rangers but that man has no business picking up a glove anymore. And everybody but Vlad and Ron Washington knows it. Vlad served as the Rangers' DH for most of the season and would be better equipped coming off the bench to pinch hit instead of roaming triples alley in San Francisco like a deer that was just hit by an 18-wheeler.

Both recorded errors came in the 8th inning when he whiffed on a ball hit by Edgar Renteria that rolled to the wall and juggled a ball hit by Freddy Sanchez in the Rangers' bullpen. It was the equivalent of watching an octogenarian try to use a cell phone, lots of confusion and inevitable errors. Guerrero didn't look all that great when not making errors either. I think we all know who's to blame for Vlad's steep decline in fielding and general walking around ability. That's right, the Montreal Expos. They really should have sprung for some turf in that stadium instead of just spray painting the concrete green.

The simple and obvious answer for the Rangers is to plug David Murphy into the outfield rotation and sit Vlad when they play in San Fran, especially against righties. Murphy hit .294/.364/.472 against right handers this season compared to Vlad's .287/.328/.432 line against northpaws. They face another one tonight in Matt Cain. I expect Washington to make the smart move here and switch them out because I'm delusional and assume that the Rangers' skipper reads this blog.

Random Vlad Guerrero story. I had an ex-girlfriend who used to watch 100+ Angels games per season with me and she bought me an authentic Vlad jersey for my birthday. She got it off of Ebay but had no idea how sizes work. So now I have a size 60 jersey that I could use as a blanket. I don't think 6'5 Vlad could even wear it.

Les Expos de Montréal

Yeah, I only watched that a dozen times today. The MLB Network will air an hour long special on the Expos Sunday focusing on their magical 1994 season and terrible relocation to Strasburg, which I assume is the eventual renaming of Washington DC. I always liked the Expos but I have an unusual fascination with Canada. It started with hockey, took a strange turn with poutine and ended with Degrassi: The Next Generation. Who knew Jimmy Brooks would become a famous rapper?

As long as I'm writing an Expos post, we might as well take a look at my favorite Expo players. Sorry Gary Carter and Andre Dawson but I spent most of the 80's trying to learn how to play the drums in my basement. Turns out I have no musical talent whatsoever.

1. Vladimir Guerrero
This shouldn't come as a surprise considering Vlad is my favorite baseball player despite relocating to Arlington from Orange County this year. Vladdy was an Expo from 1996 to 2003 with 234 home runs, 123 stolen bases and a .323/.390/.588 slash line. In the year 2000, Vlad hit 44 homers and .345/.410/.664 but finished 6th in MVP voting behind Jeff Kent, some guy named Barry Bonds and others. Vlad is still on a Hall of Fame career path even though the painted concrete Montreal tried to pass off as outfield grass destroyed his knees.

2. Tim Raines
Admittedly, I didn't watch much of Rock's career in Montreal but I'm one of Raines' big Hall of Fame supporters. From 1979 to 1990, Rock had 96 homers, 634 stolen bases and a .301/.390/.438 line. He's the second best lead off hitter in the history of baseball but gets a bad rep because he dabbled in the cocaine. Like you didn't do something stupid in the 80's.

3. Pedro Martinez
Pedro was only in Montreal for 3 years but his 1997 season was incredible. He won the NL Cy Young thanks to a 1.90 ERA and 13 complete games. Pedro is the third Hall of Famer on this list but maybe the most deserving. His peak years rival any other pitcher who ever threw a ball. Just go look at 1997, 1999 and 2000. Stunning.

4. Moises Alou
Alou spent 1992-1996 in Montreal before floating around the rest of the National League. Alou hit .293/.350/.490 in his tenure with the Expos and was roughly 20% better than league average. His career year came in 1998 with Houston but in 1994 Alou was on an MVP pace before the work stoppage. He was hitting .339/.397/.592 going into August 12th.

5. Larry Walker
Walker is an interesting Hall of Fame case. He has a career .400 OBP and had unbelievable seasons in 1997 and 1999. Sure some of that might have been Coors Field aided but it's still a pretty impressive 17-year career. Walker was in Montreal from 1989 to 1994 and posted a respectable .281/.357/.483 line with 99 homers mixed in.

Sentimental Favorite: Mike Lansing
I honestly can't remember why I liked Lansing so much but I was a big fan during his Montreal days. His .276/.333/.405 is mediocre enough and I don't think he played remarkable defense at second base. But yeah, for whatever reason I rooted for Lansing during his 5-year stay in Canada. What do I know though? I have an authentic J.T. Snow California Angels jersey.

[h/t The Stew]

Double Shot Of The Night

Shot Of The Night is Off Base Percentage's toast to a player who had an exceptionally good or bad night. There's always a reason to drink.

I was stuck in Baton Rouge for the past two nights and had some difficulty "borrowing" the Internet from neighbors so I owe you guys a couple of shots. Plus I'll have one up later. What are we waiting for? Let's get drunk.

June 30th

Wednesday's shot of the night was King's Gold: 2 oz Crown Royal® Canadian whisky,
2 oz Goldschlager® cinnamon schnapps. And it's in honor of Felix Hernandez.

All King Felix did was throw a 2 hit shutout against the Yankees while striking out 11. A-Rod, Capt'n Jetes and Teixeira all struck out twice as Derwood invented new profanity. Just disturbing stuff. Derwood thought he was getting off the hook since I didn't have online capabilities but he underestimated my desire to toast to Yankee failures.

Honorable Mention: Vlad Guerrero
The Shot of the Night giveth and taketh away. Just as I was enjoying the Yankees' failures, Big Daddy Vladdy laid his vengeance upon his former team, my beloved Angels. Vlad went 4-4 with 2 home runs (1 grand slam) and 5 RBI. Hideki Matsui went 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout and I drank myself to sleep.

July 1st

Last night's shot of the night was a Gut Buster: 1 oz Bacardi® 151 rum, 1 oz Bushmills® Irish whiskey, 1 oz Hennessy® cognac, 1 oz Aftershock® Hot & Cool cinnamon schnapps, 1 oz Aftershock® Cool Citrus mint schnapps, 1 oz vodka. I got hammered reading just that. Who is drinking that? Anyway, it's in honor of Buster Posey.

Posey went 2-4 with a home run but he gets toasted for getting the 800 pound gorilla off of his back. That's not a metaphor. The Giants finally traded Bengie Molina and his .284 wOBA to the Rangers, opening the door for Posey to take his rightful spot as the Giants everyday catcher.

Honorable Mention: Yadier Molina
In my attempt to make this the Molina'd shot of the night ever, I give you Yadier Molina's 0-4 night. And he did that on a mere 9 pitches. Dude just loves to catch. To put that in context, Blake Hawksworth (Cardinal pitcher, for those of you who aren't his parents) saw more pitches in his 2 at bats than Yadier had all game.

Curveballs for Jobu

Curveballs for Jobu is Off Base Percentage's daily trip around the ballparks.

Today's honorary bat boy: Tanner Boyle



Cubs 3, Mariners 2 (13). Maybe it's the late nights and the cheap beer, but it seems like this series started four months ago. Finally, it ended when Marlon Byrd singled in the 13th, spoiling nine innings of two-run ball from Felix Hernandez. The Cubs avoided the sweep, while afterwards Byrd said that Chicago was about to go on a winning streak. I don't know what he's talking about, the Cubs are already on a winning streak: they've won two consecutive games that went 13 innings, dating back to a win over Houston last July 27.

Rangers 6, Pirates 5. I think the John Russell Countdown to Unemployment can begin, yes? The Buccos have lost 15 of 17 with Thursday's loss coming when the bullpen-namely someone called Evan Meek-couldn't hold a two-run lead in the late innings. Vlad won it with a walk-off single and Texas has won 11 consecutive games and leads the West by 4 1/2 games.

Brewers 5, Twins 0. Yovani Gallardo was perfect through 5 1/3, then Jim Joy...Drew Butera singled in the sixth. Gallardo was still masterful, scattering five hits and walking Nilch in a 12-strike out game as Milwaukee swept the three-game series. Jody Gerut: DNP.

Whitesox 2, Braves 0. I'm still not convinced Atlanta has enough offense to be a playoff team and get past the Division Series round for the first time since 2001. Thursday, they were two-hit by a Gavin and a Putz, before Bobby Jenks' goatee pitched a perfect ninth for Chicago, winners of nine consecutive games.

Redsox 13, Rockies 11 (10). Absolute nonsense in Colorado where everyone stunk except Dustin Pedroia, who hit three home runs, including the game-winner in the 10th, and shrunk two more inches. Jonathan Papelbon's days as the Boston closer appear to be winding down. The 7th-ugliest Boston player blew another save when Colorado scored twice to tie it in the ninth. Daniel Bard is the better option for the ninth, but if Boston wouldn't mind keeping Papelbon as the closer until October 3 (last regular season game against the Yankees), that would be appreciated.

Curveballs for Jobu

Curveballs for Jobu is Off Base Percentage's daily trip around the ballparks.

Today's honorary bat boy: Ozzie Virgil




Nationals 7, Pirates 5. A day after a sellout crowd watched Strasburg dominate, just 18,876 came out for Brad Lincoln's debut. Good thing, because the No. 4 overall pick in 2006 wasn't very good Wednesday. He allowed five earned runs in six innings, while the Nats pen allowed four base runners in 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Jim Riggleman keeps his condo for at least one more day.

Rangers 12, Mariners 2. MTD and I had a long Vlad Guerrero-is-a-first-ballot-Hall-of-Famer discussion Wednesday, but what we didn't discuss was Ian Snell's candidacy. Quick prediction of our probable Thursday Snell-for-HOF conversation: it isn't likely. While Vlad was busy going 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs, Snell was busy putting together his worst start since last August 13: 1 2/3 IP, 7 ER, and the Mariners remained absolutely horrible for the 47th consecutive season.

Diamondbacks 2, Braves 1. Gerardo Parra must've read Jobu June 1, because he hit and two-run, inside-the-park home run in the eighth inning to lead the Flying Parras to at least a split of a four-game series with Atlanta. True, Nate Mclouth fell down in what looked to be excruciating pain after colliding with Jason Heyward on Parra's fly ball, but any hit counts when you have a .278 on-base percentage. Parra, not Mclouth (.299 OBP).

Indians 11, Redsox 0. The Tribe got their first good news since Willie Mays Hayes scored from second on Jake Taylor's bunt as former Boston pitcher Justin Masterson pitched a two-hit shut out. Travis Hafner blasted a grand slam in an eight-run eighth inning to help Cleveland win for the first time against Boston since May 6 of last year.



Cubs 9, Brewers 4. Geovany Soto and Marlon Byrd hit two home runs each and Derrek Lee hit his 300th career home run (126th player to reach that mark) as the Cubbies remained three games ahead of Milwaukee for third place in the race for the team that's going to finish the season third in the NL Central.

Weekly Cup Of Joe

I prefer to think of this as more of a tribute to Fire Joe Morgan than a blatant ripoff. But who are we really kidding here?

Tuesday means there's a new Joe chat at the Four Letter. Let's grab us a nugget of wisdom...

Matt (NM)

Joe, you and Orel talked about "quality strikes" on Sunday. What's a quality strike?

Joe Morgan (11:13 AM)

That's a great question. I feel badly if we didn't explain it properly. I take pride in explaining myself on the air. There are three parts to the plate, outside corner, inside corner and middle. You want to stay out of the middle. Most hitters can handle the ball on the middle of the plate. Some players have trouble with the inside corner or outside corner. A quality strike is one that stays low and is middle in or middle out. Just stay out of the middle of the plate. Good question.

Okay, just to recap... Three parts of the plate; outside corner, inside corner and middle. Gotcha. Stay out of the middle. Good, fine. Stay middle in or middle out, just not middle. Of course, wait, what? Is middle in part of the middle or inside corner or left side right? Are there now five parts to the plate? How many parts of the plate does Vlad Guerrero have? Because I've seen him hit one out that was upside topsy-turvy.

All I think I learned is don't throw it straight down the middle of the plate. That's not a quality strike. You know, unless it's a strike.

Thank god they put Rob Neyer on directly after Joe. It helps stop my brain from melting.