Toronto Blue Jays are running out of time to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to new contract

At the risk of being hyperbolic, the next two weeks could be the most pivotal of the Toronto Blue Jays front office’s entire career.

The Blue Jays are just 11 days away from their first spring training contest when they take on the New York Yankees on February 22.

But before that, you can bet that General Manager Ross Atkins and President Mark Shapiro will be making a push to be in the negotiating room with the crown jewel of their franchise: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

While he’s signed through 2025 on a one-year, $28.5 million contract that he inked in January, 2025 could be his last season with the club if he opts for free agency after this deal.

And though he’s indicated a desire to stay long-term in Toronto, he also stated in a December interview with Dominican Republic-based outlet Abriendo Sports that he’s not willing to negotiate a contract extension after the first full day of spring training.

For the Blue Jays, their first workout is scheduled for February 21, one day prior to their first game. Looking at the calendar, that gives Toronto less than 10 days to lock up their star player past this season, assuming he holds true to his claims from last month.

It’s tough to project exactly what a deal would look like, with one report from Bob Nightengale suggesting the team and player were “$100 million apart” when they first reached the negotiating table this offseason.

But given the salaries flying around Major League Baseball this offseason, Toronto would likely have to lock up their slugger for upwards of a decade on a contract possibly more than three times George Springer’s $150 million six-year deal, which is currently the largest in team history.

Guerrero Jr. finished last season with 30 home runs and hit .323. He finished sixth in AL MVP voting for his efforts and was one of the best hitters across the entire MLB.

If no long-term deal is reached in the next few weeks, expect the star slugger’s future to be the single biggest storyline following the team in the 2025 campaign.

So far in his career, he has 160 home runs, 507 RBIs, and is hitting .288, all with the Blue Jays since making his MLB debut in 2019. Last year, he was named an All-Star Game starter for the third time.

While 2022 and 2023 were down years by his self-appointed high standards, Guerrero Jr. is clearly the most talented offensive player Blue Jays fans have seen in a generation. And while baseball isn’t a game often won solely by one player, he’s the type of talent they’d need if they have any hopes of returning to the postseason anytime soon.

You might also like:
• Toronto Blue Jays unveil new Rogers Centre tours and fans can step on the field