Vladimir Guerrero: Should He Stay or Should He Go?

…but that’s kind of where I’m heading.

The only way it makes sense to me though, is if we can lay our hands on Holliday or Bay (preferably Holliday), then we say goodbye to Bobby, push Johnny Rivers into RF, Vlad DH

Hometown discount. If those two things are established, there should be virtually no issue here.

no more words are needed.

He is old, can’t play in the field and is a liability on the base paths.
But if he takes a huge discount I am for it. Especially since it may be hard to hang onto Abreu and GMJ wants out. Compound that with a poor free agent class and it sounds like a smart move.

I understand that he wants to play in the outfield still. If he can settle on the DH and not go crazy on his asking price we need him back if we can get some home town discount.

we’re not going to replace him with anyone who would give us his production. I just don’t see us signing Bay or Holliday and I expect whoever does is going to OVERPAY and be disappointed that they are not the superstars that their salaries would indicate.

Keep Vlade DH (except for interleague), keep him healthy, and he’ll reward the team’s loyalty with a productive year with occasional glimpses of the greatness that we’ve all seen.

To me, this is a no brainer.

he’s sort of like our Griffey. i’d like to see the fans give him a proper send off. the next year or so can be his farewell tour.

Do we forget that it took a huge dive by the Rangers this year to allow us to finish the season comfortably?

I don’t want to face Vlad, even this year’s Vlad. Make sure we’re not OVERPAYING, but keep the man at home.

I’m all for him staying. I think if he knows he’s just going to DH and he isn’t asking a boatload of money he can focus on being just the DH.

I also want Figgins and Lackey.

Figgins may not have had a good post season offensively but he was awesome at 3rd base during the post and regular season. He helped get us into the playoffs and he did help us in the playoffs – especially against Boston.

Lackey – I have nothing but good to say about him. Yes he’s a hot head but he needs to stay.

Just my opinion.

I want Vlad to stay until he has no hands.

but my mind says let him go.

Vladdy has been the face of the Angels franchise for some time (more so Torii the past two years)

He’s still the only Angels player that’s been featured in a national TV ad though and the guy most people outside of this market think of when you say “Los Angeles Angels” (that is if they can even name any Angels player)

What does this all mean against stats and other related baseball metrics? Nothing really. But it is something to think about the next time you get pissed watching a nationally televised game where Joe Buck and Tim McCarver spit out every trivial detail about Yankee and RedSox players and still confuse Maicer Izturis with Erick Aybar.

The Marketing Dept. says keep him.

he will not get better next year. This is a trend that will continue. I say that this is an easy baseball decision and I cannot see Reagins seeing it any other way. He will not get emotional when he assesses Vlad and his declining numbers and overall value, or lack thereof, to the team. Abreu is 20 times the DH that Vlad is.

Also, we cannot have another season of having both of them. They are liabilities in the field. It’s one or the other at DH.

and just tank the 2010 season since there arent many FAs worth a damn until 2011.

Throw finley in there for good measure and i think you have the ingredients for an exciting season.

if he expects > $8.5M per year, then forget it.

I always remember when he first came back, we were playing in Chicago, and Ozzie Guillen was happy to see him in the lineup, because it slowed us down.

He did have a nice postseason, but as he ages, his free swinging style isn’t going to be very productive, I worry. God-given talents can only get you so far.

How about an incentive laden one-year deal, with a club option for a second?

I’d rather have him than sign Holliday or Bay. I’d rather gamble that Vlad will have a pretty good year than take either of those over-rated guys for too much money. I mean they are good, but to me, just not the kind of money they will cost, good.

One of Vlad’s injuries was to his pectoral mucscle if I remember right. That could have messed up his swing all the rest of the season. If he’s fully healthy in 2010, probably still kill the ball more like we are used to.

This is last offseason all over again, but with Vlad instead of GA. How many of you guys were riding the “Let’s sign GA because he’s my favorite player and he’s a HOFer for sure!!” train last year? Anybody here seriously regret letting him go and OPS .705 this year? Anybody here really regret replacing him with Rivera and/or Abreu? I didn’t think so.

Vlad is at the same crossroad this year with the Angels. Sure, he’s a fan favorite and has produced over the years. But look at the stats, for crying out loud! He’s was barely league average this year (albeit with injuries), and his SLG and overall numbers have gone down every year since he’s arrived. He can’t catch up to a fastball anymore, and he (apparently) is not interested in changing his approach to compensate for that. And some of you want to keep him around for 2 or 3 more years? Come on…

Vlad needs to be let go. Plain and simple. I think we can very easily replace his production, if not from within, then from the FA market. Is Vlad a HOFer? Yes, obviously. But just because you love a guy doesn’t mean he’s the best answer for your team.

Productive offenses rely on hitters who can take a pitch, or a walk.

Vlad is not that player.

I was more than happy when he was out, when the Angels tore through everyone, hitting the hell out of the ball.

He came back, and that stopped.

Sign Holladay or Holliday, whichever one plays left, I forget. Throw in Wood at third, groom Aybar to leadoff, and you got yourself a team.

I cannot stand Vlad anymore, he is too feast or famine, and this years crop looked a little measly.

He still has value and no matter how you slice it he l lengthens out the lineup and makes the other teams scratch there head. He is still someone that the other club has to be careful of. Given a chance to play healthy next year he is a guy that will produce at a high level.

2 yr contract 22M with AB increases kicking in a 3rd yr might be the way to go. I am thinking out loud with that. Maybe 1150 AB’s kicks in 3yrd year option….dont think he will get that many but its a carrot. Bottom line is he is going to play for less no matter where he plays and it should be with an Angel uniform on.