Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who said in 2022 that he would "never sign with the Yankees, not even dead," appears to be changing his stance on a possible move to New York.

"Sometimes one says things. It is not that I am trying to take back what I said about the Yankees," Guerrero told Virus Deportivo (h/t Mike Rodriguez and ESPN.) "But this is a business. I sat down and spoke with my dad and my family, and this is a business... I'm a player, and if a team picks me or if they do something, it's because they need it, obviously, and I'll be happy to help any team."

If I get trade to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yankees?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yankees</a> I will do my job and try to help that team or any team to win. I'm a professional and love this game <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VladimirGuerreroJr?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VladimirGuerreroJr</a> told Omar from Virus Deportivo <a href="https://t.co/5rQ5a6APzr">pic.twitter.com/5rQ5a6APzr</a>

In 2023 he told the New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy through a translator that the comment was due to "a personal thing that goes back with my family."

Guerrero is batting .286 through 78 games this season as the Blue Jays fall to 35-43. He is currently under arbitration for one more season and scheduled to hit free agency in 2026.

Guerrero's father, former Montreal Expos star Vladimir Guerrero Sr., said last year that he had counseled his son against making his definitive statements.

"I told him not to say that because he doesn't know if that is the team that is going to give him the money," Guerrero Sr. said last February (h/t EnSegundos' José Peguero and Z101 Digital's Héctor Gómez.)

Guerrero has been floated as a potential trade option for the Yankees even before first baseman Anthony Rizzo suffered a right forearm fracture.

The Blue Jays slugger has 10 home runs this season. Although a slow start has him some distance away from matching the AL-leading 48 homers he put over the fence in 2021, Guerrero still boasts one of the most powerful bats in the MLB.

That quality could be attractive to the Yankees, who have climbed to the AL East thanks to explosive offense from Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

The Blue Jays have made three postseason appearances since drafting Guerrero in 2019, but they have yet to win a postseason game during his six-season tenure. The team is now on track to follow up two wild-card exits with a postseason miss.

That experience may have led to Guerrero softening his stance on a potential trade to a contender like the Yankees, who entered Tuesday as one of three MLB teams to accumulate 50 wins this season.

There's a chance Guerrero may not hit the trade block if Toronto decides to take advantage of his contract's final year of team control.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said earlier this month on MLB Network Radio that it "doesn't make any sense for us" to trade the first baseman, per ESPN.

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