The New York Mets hit, if not a grand slam, then at least a three-run homer in the 2024 international signing period, reeling in three of the MLB Pipeline top 50 prospects in that year’s class. The trio was headlined by catcher Yovanny Rodriguez, the No. 6 international prospect of 2024, signed out of Venezuela with a $2.85 million bonus. Still only 19 years old, Rodriguez ranks as the Mets’ No. 24 overall prospect, though he has not yet graduated from the rookie leagues.
But there was a fourth prospect signed in the 2024 group who may have been under a brighter spotlight than any of the other international acquisitions, not due to what MLB Pipeline thought of him, but because of his bloodline.
The Mets signed Vladi Miguel Guerrero out of the Dominican Republic, granting the 17-year-old a relatively modest but not insubstantial $117,000 bonus. The Mets also included $60,000 in scholarship money.
But less than two years later, without Guerrero receiving a single at-bat in a United States professional league, the Mets have ended the Guerrero experiment, releasing him on Monday, according to his MiLB.com official transactions ledger.
Now 18 years old, Guerrero is the half-brother of Toronto Blue Jays five-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The father of both Vladimir Jr. and Vladi is 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Vladimir Guerrero, who belted 449 home runs while maintaining a .931 career OPS over his 16 years in the major leagues.
While the Mets have not publicly stated a reason for cutting ties with the younger Guerrero brother, over two seasons with the Mets Blue squad in the Dominican Summer League, the left-handed hitting first baseman and outfielder managed just a .614 OPS and only one home run in 252 trips to the plate over 72 games.
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“The young slugger will now look to find himself a new contract. Due to his age and last name, he should be able to find himself another minor league deal on a team willing to give him a second chance,” wrote Bobby Ohr of Toronto Baseball Insider on Thursday. “The Blue Jays could even look to bring on Guerrero and have the two brothers in the same organization.”
At his extremely young age, it is at least plausible that Guerrero could catch on with another organization, and the Blue Jays may be in line simply due to the novelty factor and the publicity having both Guerreros in the organization would generate. But so far, at least, Vladi Miguel Guerrero has not shown much that would persuade a team that he can be a major league prospect.
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