The timeline for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s big-league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays remains unclear.
On Thursday, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins explained the organization would ensure he's ready before they promote him to the game's highest level.
"There’s no firm timeline on when he arrives and when he plays in Toronto for the first time but we want to make sure he’s the best possible third baseman and the best possible hitter he can be. This is going to be a fun and exciting time for him and a fun and exciting time for the organization," Atkins said, according to Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun.
Guerrero seems like an obvious choice to take over third base for Toronto. Although the 19-year-old hit .381/.437/.636 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs across four minor-league levels last year, the Blue Jays are in a similar service-time scenario that the Atlanta Braves were in last season with Ronald Acuna Jr. - baseball's top prospect at the time.
The Braves waited until the end of April to promote Acuna, which gave the organization an extra year of contractual control over the youngster.
If Guerrero Jr. starts the regular season in the minors, Brandon Drury could man the hot corner for Toronto on Opening Day. Drury was acquired in the J.A. Happ deal with the New York Yankees last season. He has four seasons of big-league experience under his belt.
"Yeah, I think that's the most likely scenario," Atkins replied when asked about Drury starting at third, according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm. "Having said that, we're a good number of days away from opening the season and we'll see how things progress."
