Blue Jays sign Guerrero Jr. to new one-year contract

The Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have come to terms on a new contract.

At yesterday’s arbitration hearing, Guerrero Jr. was awarded a one-year deal worth $19.9 million, per Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.

Arbitrators rule in favour of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., per source. He will earn $19.9m from the Blue Jays this season.

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) February 8, 2024

Guerrero’s deal is a record for the most ever awarded in arbitration in MLB history.

As per Davidi, the Blue Jays filed for a one-year deal at $18.05 million, with Guerrero Jr.’s camp coming in at an ask of $19.9 million, putting the team and player at $1.85 million apart when they filed.

The 24-year-old is eligible to hit free agency in 2026, with one year of arbitration eligibility left after this deal. Should the Blue Jays aim to keep the three-time MLB All-Star around long-term, they’ll need to ink him to a long-term deal over the next two seasons.

But it’s been a frustrating couple of years since Guerrero Jr. finished second in American League All-Star voting in 2021.

Guerrero Jr. had a batting average of .264 with 159 hits, 26 homers, 94 RBIs, and 78 runs scored in 156 games in 2023 while putting up an OPS mark of .788.

By comparison, he put up a mark of .311 with 188 hits, 48 home runs, 111 RBIs and 123 runs scored in 161 games in 2021 while having a career-best 1.002 OPS.

The Blue Jays report to spring training later this month, with their first game held on February 24. The regular season opens a month later when Toronto will take on the Tampa Bay Rays to kick off their 2024 campaign.

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