
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doesn’t seem to have any problem being honest when it comes to contract talks between himself and the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays were unable to work out a contract with the 25-year-old during the offseason, suggesting that he will likely be wearing a different uniform come 2026.
Though there was a lot of frustration from the fan base towards GM Ross Atkins, many also felt that Guerrero Jr. may have been asking for an unreasonable amount, with some even speculating he may have been asking for a contract similar to the 15-year, $765-million deal Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets this offseason.
Based on some recent comments from the first baseman, however, that seems to be far from the case.
“It’s much less than Soto,” Guerrero Jr. told ESPN’s Enrique Rojas and Ernesto Jerez (translated from Spanish to English via ESPN). “We’re talking about many few millions than Soto, more than a hundred million less… It was the same number of years [as Soto’s] but didn’t reach [$600 million]. The last number we gave them as a counteroffer didn’t reach 600.”
This is a frustrating revelation and makes you wonder why, or perhaps even how, a deal between the two sides wasn’t worked out. While you could understand the hesitancy from Blue Jays management to give him anything close to the deal Soto got, a contract less than $600 million seems reasonable.
In 159 games last season, Guerrero Jr. hit 30 home runs with 103 RBIs and a career-best .323 batting average. Those numbers were good enough to have him finish sixth in AL MVP voting.
To Guerrero Jr.’s credit, he doesn’t seem to be checked out with the Blue Jays. He even recently mentioned that he hopes to remain in Toronto for the rest of his career, giving fans hope that a deal between the two sides can still be put together.
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