Why Blue Jays have to consider trading Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Is this what they want to deal with all season?

As long as he plays for the Blue Jays he is going to say all of the right things about loving the team and hoping to stay there. He is still a part of the team and still has a job to do. But let's be realistic about this — if the Blue Jays were going to match his number, or if he was going to come off of his number to stay, it probably would have already happened by now.

He knows what his value is.

He sees what other top free agents are getting on the open market.

He knows this is his one big chance to cash in.

It seems unlikely that is going to happen in Toronto.

From a Blue Jays perspective, it is going to be a long, distracting season to have to listen to this speculation all year, and then risk losing him for nothing next winter. 

So why not just act now and try to get something out of it? It doesn't mean they have to give up on the season. It doesn't mean they have to start a full-scale rebuild. It doesn't mean they have to settle for prospects that are years away. Explore an actual baseball trade to see if there is something you can get now involving a player or two that can still help you sustain a competitive team, while also having team control beyond this season.

After missing out on so many top free agents in recent years there had to be real pressure on the Blue Jays to get their best homegrown player re-signed. It would be a bad look to keep coming in second place for superstars and then lose one of your own. But that is the unfortunate reality they are looking at. 

From a talent perspective, the Blue Jays are a better team with Guerrero Jr. in their lineup. But the season-long distraction and the possibility of losing him for nothing should at least motivate them to consider what they could get.