Columnist image

| Archive

The Toronto Blue Jays open their Grapefruit League action Saturday against the Detroit Tigers before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. makes his debut at third base on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. TSN Baseball Reporter Scott Mitchell checks in with news and notes on the Jays.

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Charlie Montoyo is waiting one extra day to unveil Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

While the rest of the Toronto Blue Jays will open Grapefruit League action Saturday against the Detroit Tigers at Dunedin Stadium, Vladdy Jr. won’t be in the lineup and isn’t expected to play at all.

On Sunday in Sarasota against the Baltimore Orioles, the 19-year-old will make his debut at third base.

The short-term plan is easy to figure out.

Guerrero will get a lot of at-bats this spring, and then head to Triple-A Buffalo to start the season, a service-time manipulation situation that’s been brewing since last summer.

The defence will be the excuse, and watching Guerrero early on in defensive drills, it’s pretty clear he has work to do in order to stay at the position long term.

It matters little.

Even if he ends up at first base in the future, it’s the MVP calibre bat that’s going to do the talking.

Where will that bat land in the lineup?

Montoyo has an idea.

“Probably third,” the 53-year-old first-year manager said. “If he is what he’s supposed to be, I would love to hit him third, for sure.”

That may not be the case right from the get-go.

Guerrero has been immune to the pressure and expectations so far, but Montoyo may give him some time to get comfortable when he’s finally called up.

“It’s almost like a player development deal,” Montoyo said. “I could hit him third, but if he struggles … is it better to start him sixth and move him up? We’ll see where we go with that.”

WHO’S THE LEADOFF MAN?

With a number of aging stars jettisoned and no real obvious fits at any spot in the batting order, expect to see a number of creative combinations.

It starts at the top, where the options to lead off are uninspiring.

Montoyo will be essentially holding open auditions all spring atop the lineup.

“I’m going to use spring training to decide that, but, of course one of the guys who did it last year, (Billy) McKinney did it, if he makes the club, he’ll be a choice,” Montoyo said. “Devon Travis has done it before. Those two guys I’m thinking about right now, but I’m going to see how it plays out.”

Philosophically, all Montoyo is looking for is a player who can get on base.

“It used to be patience, but it’s not like that anymore,” Montoyo said when asked what he’s looking for in a leadoff hitter. “Just on-base percentage, hopefully. If we can get a guy with a good on-base percentage to lead off, that’d be great. Who that guy is, we’ll see.”

One of the Jays’ downfalls the past couple of seasons has been an inability to get on base.

First baseman Justin Smoak’s .350 on-base percentage last season is the best mark on the roster, and he’s clearly not in the mix to hit first.

Danny Jansen posted a .347 mark in his 31 big-league games, but a catcher leading off is rare because there are a lot of other responsibilities on his plate.

Travis has the most experience leading off, but he got on base last year at a lowly .275 clip.

It could be a revolving door all season long.

Jansen, Smoak, Travis, Freddy Galvis, Brandon Drury, Kevin Pillar, Dalton Pompey and Teoscar Hernandez are all expected to be in the lineup Saturday in the opener.​