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“It’s fair to say it has been a prominent issue raised by the players association.”

When asked about Guerrero specifically, the PA source re-iterated the statement from last fall when it was sharply critical of how the Jays are handling what most view as their most prized asset and the key to their rebuild.

And if the Jays stick with the plan not to have Guerrero on manager Charlie Montoyo’s opening day roster, the concern will heighten.

“The union’s position on service-time manipulation is clear,” the statement on the 19-year-old third baseman reads. “Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and other great young talents around baseball have earned the right to play on the field for a Major League team. The decision to not bring him up is a business decision.

“It’s bad for the Blue Jays. It’s bad for fans. It’s bad for players and it’s bad for the industry.”

In an interview with MLB radio earlier this week, Jays general manager Ross Atkins took some heat for comments suggesting the Dominican-raised phenom isn’t ready. You can be sure Clark will reference that and more when he meets here with Atkins and the Jays.

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“Our vision is it really comes down to development, so I just don’t see him as a major league player, right?,” Atkins told MLB Network Radio. “He’s 19.”

Of course, there’s a strong chance Guerrero would immediately be the rebuilding team’s best hitter, but the Jays public stance is that they want him to develop fully before promoting him.