Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did enough to convince the Toronto Blue Jays organization to open their wallets and give him a juicy contract, bringing him closer to the highest-paid players in MLB with a long-term deal
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had already turned down a $340 million offer for a multi-year contract, but the Dominican player decided to reject it in order to wait for the final figure of Juan Soto’s contract to increase his demands, forcing the Blue Jays to give in
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Jays have begun negotiations to offer Vladi an extension that effectively approaches the contracts of players such as Soto or Shohei Ohtani that exceed the $700 million mark. That is, it would be above $500 million, although the expert estimates that the figure could be higher if they really want to prevent him from approaching free agency
“The Jays are in conversations with Guerrero about a long-term contract extension that would take him out of his final year of arbitration and free agency. They are interested in Bichette, who is also entering his walk year. And they are at least on the periphery of the bidding for Alex Bregman, though other free agents, for now, seem to be a better fit,” Rosenthal said.
A team that wants to compete at the highest level
The Blue Jays have had to open their checkbook in their bid to become a leading team. Last year they were in the running for Japanese star Shohei Ohtani, which the Dodgers eventually won, and this year they tried to lure Soto, but they did not have the conditions that the Mets could offer
Their failure in both attempts meant they finished at the bottom of the American League East in 2024, so it seems they need more than one superstar to compete
On the other hand, having a ballplayer of Guerrero’s caliber would allow the team to have a pillar around which to build, as it would be attractive for other players to play with Toronto
In 2024, Guerrero Jr. hit .323 this season with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. He finished sixth in the American League Most Valuable Player voting and remains in the conversation among the best offensive players in the American League.
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