The Toronto Blue Jays are in an offseason where they need to make a tough decision on the future of superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who is set to hit free agency after the 2025 season.
The Blue Jays are not close to a deal with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
With Toronto in a weird spot in the AL East division, they must decide if they want to extend Guerrero for the long term or trade him before he hits the open market. The Blue Jays are attempting to bring him back for the long haul, but it would appear that no deal is imminent.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Guerrero is seeking a deal north of $400 million. He added that the Blue Jays’ recent offer was approximately $340 million, so there is a large discrepancy in contract figures that has stalled the talks between the two sides.
Guerrero, 25, was one of the best hitters in baseball last season with a .323/.396/.544 slash line and 30 home runs. Except for a down year in 2023, Guerrero has been a top hitter for the past few seasons and was the AL MVP runner-up in 2021.
Given his youth, the superstar slugger is deserving of a contract that would carry him throughout the majority of his career. However, the Blue Jays do not appear to be poised to seriously compete in the American League, so Guerrero could wind up signing a long-term deal elsewhere.
The Blue Jays will have to pick a direction soon
With about a month left until Spring Training commences, the Blue Jays will need to up the ante if they want to retain Guerrero for the long haul. If no extension gets done before the season, expect teams to be heavily pursuing him in trades.
The Mets make sense to pursue the first baseman, especially after Andy Martino of SNY reported Thursday that the team is operating under the assumption that Pete Alonso will be signing elsewhere. Guerrero would fill in a major hole and give New York a top batting trio in the league.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Blue Jays take another step forward toward meeting Guerrero’s needs or if they pivot elsewhere and prepare for the future.