Blue Jays Trade Projection Would Expedite Rebuild, Send Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Mets
The Toronto Blue Jays failed to agree on an extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He will become a free agent next winter and, given the Blue Jays track record with superstars in free agency, the team could consider trading him before he walks for no return. Guerrero has one year of control, just like Juan Soto did when he was traded to the New York Yankees. The San Diego Padres received six players for Soto and Trent Grisham in that trade. FanSided’s Matthew Sookram proposed this trade that would net the Blue Jays a similar return and help expedite their rebuild:
“The Mets wouldn’t have to give up any MLB-ready talent in this trade, while the Blue Jays would get plenty of prospects in their early 20’s with high upside to help jumpstart a rebuild,” wrote Sookram. “It may seem like a lot for the Mets to give up, but if Guerrero starts the season strong (he’s projected by FanGraphs to have 4.8 fWAR this season, the most among all first basemen in 2025), then they should be able to swing a deal similar to what the Nationals got when they traded Juan Soto to the Padres.”
The Blue Jays would be getting four of the Mets’ best prospects who could help them quickly rebuild their team. Williams could serve as a replacement to Bo Bichette, who will also be a free agent after the season. As for the Mets, they would have a logjam in the infield for a season, but they would also have the inside edge for Guerrero in free agency. If Pete Alonso opts out the Mets could offer Guerrero a lucrative contract that keeps him and Soto together for the future.
The Toronto Blue Jays 25-year-old slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will no longer be a Blue Jay after the 2025 season. At least, that’s how the situation was shaping up on Tuesday after the team and their franchise player announced that they had failed to agree on terms for a contract extension beyond the end of 2025.
“They have their numbers; I have my numbers,” Guerrero told ESPN reporter Jeff Passan.
Guerrero is the son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero who played 16 MLB seasons mainly for the Montreal Expos (who have since moved to Washington D.C. and become the Nationals) and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (as that team was then called). The younger Guerrero had laid down a self-imposed deadline of February 17 for working out an extension that would keep him in Toronto.
Guerrero did not publicly state the dollar figure he was seeking, but some media reports have said that it would take at least $400 million to satisfy the star who has hit 160 home runs in his six seasons with the Blue Jays.
Guerrero is Forcing Blue Jays to Trade Him
Guerrero said that he “won’t close the door” on returning to the Blue Jays if they make him a “realistic” offer, but the four-time All-Star, based on advanced statistics, may be overestimating his value. According to the Fangraphs statistic “weighted runs created-plus,” or wRC+, which standardizes offensive production so that the Major League average is always 100, Guerrero’s career wRC+ figure is 137. That number ties him with former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman who after reportedly seeking a six-year, $200 million free agent deal, settled for a three-year $120 million contract from the Boston Red Sox.
