“No, not even dead,” was what Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had said when he was asked if he would ever don the pinstripes in his career. But wait, that was two years ago! Fast forward to last year, and Guerrero has had a change of heart. He admitted that he was open to the possibility. Now, with his self-imposed contract deadline with the Toronto Blue Jays expired. And yet, with not a deal in sight, he is set to hit free agency next season. The question is, where would he head next? According to Rich Eisen, the Bronx is the place for him.

Rich Eisen, at his show, mentioned bluntly, “I think he would look great in pinstripes in the Bronx—that’s what I think. The first base position is going to be open. Goldschmidt is just on a one-year deal, so that’s not going to happen. I don’t know, I mean, he’s just sitting right there—a big player in the Bronx would be helpful.” And honestly, he might be onto something. The New York Yankees need a strong bat, someone to fill in Juan Soto’s shoes. Now look at Guerrero’s stats—he hit 30 home runs last season and had a .323 batting average.

Moreover, Paul Goldschmidt signed a one-year deal. But come to think of it, was it part of the Yankees’ plan all along? As far as other teams interested, Eisen even without mincing words shunned the Red Sox off the sweepstakes, “He won’t go to the Red Sox, I know that. You know why? Because he doesn’t play third base, and that’s the only type of player the Red Sox are collecting right now—third basemen.” 

For context, right now there is plenty of stir in Boston after Rafael Devers has refused to move from third base to pave the way for Alex Bregman, who is also a third baseman. “Third base is my position. It’s what I play,” said Devers. This is surprising to most because Bregman just won the Gold Glove last season at third base. Well, for the Yankees that is great news, one less competitor. Spotrac values Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to get a 12-year, $427 million deal. So it’s less than Juan Soto, and it just works for the Yanks at this point. They are building a well-rounded team, and he fits right in.

But is it going to be that simple? Or will fate hand them the same platter?

Will the Yankees lose Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the Mets?

If the Toronto Blue Jays are in a rocky boat with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. just being blatantly open to being on the outs, so are the New York Mets. They are on the same literal boat. Pete Alonso bluntly told the media that his current $54 million deal is just a “bridge thing just to get to the next contract.” So it’s not surprising that he would want to move. And when he does, there is a huge chance that the New York Mets, or rather Steve Cohen, really come for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Much like he did for Juan Soto!

So, yes, while the Yankees can have their eyes peeled, they have a danger from their cross-town rivals just yet again. And Cohen also had some great things to say about him. “He’s (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) a great ballplayer,” said Cohen. However, on the possibility of him joining his team, he said he is keeping that on the burner. “Once again, I’ll worry about that next year. Obviously, with payroll considerations—you really can’t have too many long-term contracts because then you lose your roster flexibility. So you have to be really careful.” 

David Stearns is one person who has been extremely careful about where the money goes. Sure, they spent an arm and a leg on Juan Soto, but they have not mindlessly spent their money everywhere. So it depends if they are willing to take a step with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But no doubt, pairing Vlad with Soto would be a guaranteed ticket to October.

So, where in New York do you think Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ends up? Head to the Yankees and kill this underlying rivalry, or join the Mets, and rev it up even more? Let us know your thoughts.

​​