When the Blue Jays rolled into the 2026 season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was supposed to be the centerpiece of the offense. That expectation only grew after his sensational 2025 postseason pushed Toronto all the way to the World Series. Instead, the 27-year-old has spent much of this year in a major power slump, and that has made the club’s decision to let Ty France leave in free agency look rougher by the week.
France has been giving the Padres exactly what they hoped for on a bargain deal. San Diego signed the 31-year-old infielder to a one-year, $1.35 million contract, and he has rewarded them with a .265 batting average, an .817 OPS, 21 runs scored, eight doubles, 10 home runs and 30 RBIs across 64 games and 185 at-bats. He has mostly worked in a platoon role at first base, but the production has been real.
Guerrero’s numbers tell a different story. Through 83 games and 306 at-bats, he is hitting .268 with a .699 OPS, 13 doubles, four home runs and 35 RBIs. Even with nearly 20 more games and 120 more at-bats, Guerrero has only five more doubles and RBIs than France, while trailing him by six home runs and nearly 120 points of OPS.
France has also already turned in two multi-homer games this season, while Guerrero has not recorded one. One of those performances came on June 20, when MLB posted, “Ty France has a multi-homer game! pic.twitter.com/iLIKvPDJKI”
The fit in Toronto is what makes it sting. France would not have necessarily taken Guerrero’s job at first base, but he would have helped cover some of the offense the Blue Jays have been missing. With a bat like France’s in the mix, Toronto could have used him at first while shifting Guerrero to designated hitter and giving him more room to work through the adjustments he needs at the plate.
France has brought value on the other side of the ball, too. As of July 3, he ranked first among MLB first basemen in defensive runs saved with 10. Guerrero had a respectable five DRS and remained among the top five in that group.
The longer Guerrero’s slump drags on, and the longer Toronto’s offense sputters, the more that decision to let France walk stands out. For now, the Blue Jays are left watching him thrive in San Diego and wondering what a little extra spending might have bought them.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Fans Will Love Who Just Got Dragged Back Into Focus
One of the sports most familiar and polarizing umpires is back in the conversation, and Blue Jays fans know exactly why that matters. C.B. Bucknor, who has been working MLB games since 1996, is among six umpires set to retire after the 2026 season, a list that also includes Laz Daz, Brian O'Nora, Lance Barksdale, Marvin Hudson and Tony Randazzo. For Toronto, Bucknors name still carries plenty of baggage, especially after a viral 2025 moment at Rogers Centre when Max Scherzer made a coin-flip gesture in response to his strike zone.
Bucknor has not worked since April 1 after taking a 100.2 mph fastball off his face mask in a Brewers-Rays game, and his recent absence has only added to the sense that one of baseballs longest-tenured umpires is nearing the end of the line. He has also been a frequent focal point in the leagues new Automated Ball-Strike Challenge system, with seven of his nine challenge calls overturned, the highest rate among MLB umpires. For a Blue Jays fan base that remembers the flashpoints, the timing of his retirement news is the kind of detail that gets noticed right away. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Framed The Blue Jays Deadline Pressure Perfectly
With the trade deadline approaching, ESPNs Jeff Passan has put the Blue Jays in the kind of spotlight that usually comes with urgency, not comfort. His read is that Toronto is still operating like a club that could chase multiple upgrades, with pitching and position-player help both in play as the front office weighs how aggressively to push for a postseason spot.
Passans list of possible fits is broad enough to show just how many directions Toronto could go, from frontline arms to infield help and even catching depth. The bigger takeaway for the Blue Jays is the pressure baked into that kind of shopping list: if they are going to make a real push, they may need to act before the market and the standings leave them with fewer options. [Read more 🡒]
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Pulls Out Of All-Star Game At Crucial Time
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was voted in as the American Leagues starting first baseman for the 2026 All-Star Game, but he will not take part in the festivities. The Blue Jays slugger made the call before the starters were announced, choosing to use the break to recharge after a stretch in which his production has fallen short of expectations.
For Toronto, the timing matters as much as the decision itself. Guerrero has been managing a lower back issue for about a month, and the plan is to give him space to get right for the second half, where the Blue Jays will need him closer to his best. He also thanked the fans who put him in position to start, leaving the club with a notable absence but a clear reminder that the bigger priority is what comes after the break. [Read more 🡒]