Vlad Guerrero has been hitting the ball well lately, leading the charge as the Orioles have done a damn fine job of playing spoiler in the American League wild card race. Also, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun points out, he’s three hits behind Julio Franco for the record of most hits for a player from the Dominican Republic.
It’s enough to make the guy want to play a couple more years:
He’s on a one-year deal with Baltimore. Overall he’s hitting .292/.320/.421 with 13 homers. The recent surge notwithstanding, it’s hard for anyone to justify giving a guy like that with no defensive value whatsoever a contract. I’m sure someone will because of the name, the fact that he’s well-liked within the game and the chance, however slight, that he still has a productive year in him. But it’s certainly not a given.