Phillips on Guerrero Jr.'s contract comments, the apology and his perspective on handling him
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What sparked the controversy over Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s contract comments?
Here's Steve Phillips, our TSM Baseball insider. Steve, this felt like the lock of the century that Vlade would be paraded out today and that he would say what he said. Take us inside the Rogers Center, though. Atkins, Shapiro, ownership. When you consider how crazy the last 48 hours have been and off day yesterday, how do you think this all played out to get Vlade to this point?
Yeah, I think for me, it would have been a call to his agent saying, listen, you've got to you've got to rein him in here and you've got to have a conversation with him. He did not handle this well. And he's created a firestorm for himself, like not so much for the team, but he's alienating everybody around him. And so I would have gone to the agent and said, listen, you know what the questions are going to be. You know what he needs to say to correct this and fix it. And I think generally I would let the agents sort of guide that on their side of it. You know, working through him to Vladdy because, you know, there's some defensiveness, I'm sure, with Vladdy. And, you know, honestly, he sounded like a victim a little bit.
Like he was being very victim-y about all the fans. You know, they go, treat me. I mean, just hit. If you hit, people are going to love you all the time. And you know what? Next year? They're going to hit you, too. It's here for you if you hit then. Even the people who weren't happy with you now, it's just about performance in this arena. And so, you know, I was obviously surprised by the notion that he believed that he got paid for what he had done instead of what he was going to do. I mean, yeah, the price point and value gets determined based upon what you've shown us you are as a player. But when I extended the contract, I'm doing it with the notion and the expectation you're going to live up to this contract based upon the performance you just showed me.
How should an agent intervene when a player makes a public misstep?
And so I'm paying you for future performance. The fact you didn't know that is kind of odd to me. And yet I don't think he really looked at it in the proper way. I don't think he was, you know, sort of trying to take pressure on himself. I don't think he got it until now.
So if you were Ross or Mark, what would have been your reaction in Baltimore if you were traveling with the team? Because I would have gone ballistic, Steve, I'm not going to lie. You'd have to get in front of this guy and talk to him, wouldn't you, to see what the hell is going on with this thought process? Because I'd be pissed.
Yeah, I think that it's one that in the moment when you're pissed as an executive, it's not the best time to talk to somebody. I realize that, right? It's like when somebody's been drinking, confronting them in that moment's not the right time to do it. You got to wait till they sober up a little bit. And I think that when that emotion's going and he's getting defensive. I would suggest that and get with the PR guy and say, listen, why don't we shut down the interviews for right now? Let's not do any more commenting on this. Let it sit there. Say that you're going to have something to say when we get back home again. But I think that you'd be angry, but anger is not going to fix it. And then you get to the agent and you'd be somewhat angry with the agent to let him sort of, you know, because he should have been better prepared for this stuff.
And it's not the team's place to prepare him for a question about his contract. It's his agent's place. And then what I would do is say afterwards, hey, I understand you talked to your agent. You've got a plan there. How do you plan to handle that?
Why does Phillips say the contract is paid for future performance, not past stats?
And sort of talk it through them to let them rehearse it a little bit. so that he would say and do the right thing in the conversation that he had today. But it's one that anger, I realize, players shut down to get defensive on you, and there's a way to do it to the agent to get the agent to relay the level of frustration.
So do you think this, I mean, Brian mentioned off the top of the show that he was apologetic today. Do you think someone got in his ear?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What sparked the controversy over Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s contract comments?
0:00–1:42
2
How should an agent intervene when a player makes a public misstep?
1:42–3:21
3
Why does Phillips say the contract is paid for future performance, not past stats?
3:21–4:58
4
What PR strategy does Phillips recommend after the comments blow‑up?
4:58–7:14
5
Should the Blue Jays keep veteran Mark Springer or look for younger options?
7:14–9:21
6
How would Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro build a playoff‑ready team?
9:21–11:36
7
What offseason swing adjustments could revive Guerrero Jr.’s power numbers?
11:36–13:00
8
Why does Phillips compare Guerrero Jr. to Pete Alonso and what can the Jays learn?
13:00–14:16
Speakers
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