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New Blue Jays manager Montoyo talks at length about plans for Guerrero Jr.

There are no shortage of topics for a new manager to cover when he meets with the press prior to the his first season at the helm. For Toronto Blue Jays bench boss Charlie Montoyo, however, the throngs of media around his seat at the baseball Winter Meetings continued to circle back around one topic ahead of the 2019 season: the status and plans for super prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sharing a name and bloodline with a Hall of Fame talent makes for easy comparisons and they were certainly at the top of mind for Montoyo. “If Vlad Jr. is half of what his dad was, that’s going to be fun for us,” said a beaming Montoyo. “I’m looking forward to seeing him play every day.”

When he was first hired by the Blue Jays, Montoyo said he had yet to see Guerrero Jr. in action, but strides were made since then to connect with his young star. “I went to the Fall League and I talked to him a little bit… he seemed just like his dad, real humble and a good player.”

(Getty)
(Getty)

It would seem to most people that having a prodigious talent on hand would mean that he will be pencilled into the major league lineup right away, but with service time and team control always lurking in background Montoyo was also quick to point out that a continued minor league stint is not entirely out of the question.

“We’re lucky to have in the minor leagues, great coaches and our Triple-A manager is outstanding so I’m going to be talking to him a lot… whenever he tells me he’s ready to go, that’s when he’s ready to go.”

Once Guerrero Jr makes his inevitable arrival on the big league scene, the demands placed upon him by his new manager will not be any different than the other 24 players on the roster. “All I ask is for them to play the right way,” Montoyo said. “He’s going to have that pressure because he’s just a kid but I’ll be there for him whenever he needs me.”

Much was made before Montoyo’s hiring about bringing in a manager that could speak Spanish in order to communicate clearly with Vladdy Jr., the new coach sees this as a definite plus to the situation as well. “Coming from him, to talk Spanish and tell me his feelings, because I know what it’s like. When I first came to the states I spoke no English, so I know that feeling.”

Ultimately, there’s one thing that neither language or service time or any other semantic issue can disrupt: Guerrero Jr.’s overwhelming talent. Unsurprisingly, Montoyo beamed at the idea of finding a spot for him in the lineup. “If he is what I think he is, he’ll be hitting in the top of the lineup,” said the manager. “From what I hear, from the moment he gets there he could be one of the best players in baseball, so that’s exciting.”

It certainly is an exciting idea to entertain. When exactly baseball’s top prospect is given the opportunity to make his major league debut remains to be seen.

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