First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been vocal about wanting to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays. However, there is a limit to his patience.
Insider Hector Gomez relayed that Guerrero wants a long-term deal with the Blue Jays. That contract needs to be agreed upon before spring training as he does not plan to negotiate into the season.
The Blue Jays and Guerrero initially discussed a long-term extension in 2021 when he was offered a seven-year, $150M contract. Talks then stalled until this offseason when Guerrero turned down a $340M deal.
Guerrero indicated that the Blue Jays were not close to what he would consider. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic projects Guerrero to earn between $500M-$600M in his next contract. Spotrac, meanwhile, lists Guerrero as having a market value of a 12-year contract worth approximately $427M. The Blue Jays would need to improve their offer significantly if they want to keep their All-Star first baseman.
Those projections could prove to be conservative should Guerrero replicate his 2024 showing. He produced an impressive .323/.396/.544 batting line in his 697 plate appearances, hitting 30 homers and 44 doubles. Guerrero also saw time at third, potentially adding another avenue for any team looking to upgrade the lineup.
Guerrero’s ultimatum could lead to the Blue Jays’ worst nightmare. The Yankees signed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year deal and could have a significant amount of money coming off of the books. Although Guerrero once said that he would never play for the Yankees, he has softened that stance. A good enough offer could lead to Guerrero tormenting his former team into the foreseeable future.
The Blue Jays are running out of time to keep Guerrero Jr. Failing to sign him to a long-term extension could haunt Toronto for years to come.