The Toronto Blue Jays were unable to land a new contract extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before Monday’s deadline, setting him up to become a free agent after this upcoming season. Many contending teams are expected to be in hot pursuit of the 25-year-old superstar as he will likely be the most sought-after free agent in the class.
Red Sox could land Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in free agency
The Boston Red Sox, who have already made waves this offseason with a plethora of moves including signing third baseman Alex Bregman, have been listed as an early favorite to land Guerrero in free agency, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
“(Very) early favorites to land Vlad Jr. this winter: 1. Red Sox 2. Mets (assuming Pete opts out) 3. Yankees,” Heyman posted on X.
Guerrero is expected to secure a fortune in free agency next offseason. He is one of the top hitters in the sport and his youth makes him a piece that teams will be confident that they can build around.
Last season with the Blue Jays, Guerrero hit .323 with 30 home runs, 103 RBIs, and a .940 OPS. The slugger has established himself as one of the best players in baseball and will likely receive a contract comparable in size to that of Juan Soto’s with the New York Mets this past winter.
Guerrero would elevate the Red Sox’s ceiling
For the Red Sox, adding Guerrero would suddenly make them one of the top teams in the American League. After falling short of reaching the postseason last year, Boston made a statement in the offseason by signing Bregman and starting pitcher Walker Buehler and trading for Garrett Crochet.
Along with their young stars such as Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu, the Red Sox are poised to be a much-improved team from last season with a legitimate chance to be a contender in the division. Bringing in a superstar like Guerrero to this core would have them in a great position to compete for a while.
Of course, the Red Sox still have a Rafael Devers situation to handle after he adamantly stated that he would not move from his natural third base position if ever asked to do so. Perhaps a trade of the lefty slugger could lead them to sign Guerrero in free agency.
Nevertheless, how the Red Sox perform this season could have big implications on their free agency chances with Guerrero, especially after he stated his desire to be on a winning team.