Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Slims down for 2021

Guerrero revealed Wednesday that he lost 42 pounds during the offseason, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports. "It was fun ... wasn't difficult," Guerrero said of his physical transformation. "I feel quicker on all aspects of my game right now ... defensively and offensively."

Reports had surfaced throughout the offseason indicating that Guerrero had made a commitment to improving his conditioning, but it wasn't until Wednesday that he detailed the extent of his weight loss, which puts him in the target range of 240 to 245 pounds that the Blue Jays asked him to report at this spring. The lighter frame should help Guerrero in his efforts to be a usable option at either corner-infield spot in 2021; he was used exclusively at first base and designated hitter in 2020. Guerrero is still likely to be a below-average defender at third base and probably won't be used there frequently with Cavan Biggio sitting atop the depth chart, but if he can at least play enough at the position to regain eligibility in fantasy leagues, it would be a nice boost to his value. More importantly, though, Guerrero must show some growth as a power hitter to justify his draft-day price; he produced a modest nine home runs in 60 games last season, with an inability to consistently get loft on his swing (54.6 percent groundball rate) being the main culprit.