Opinion | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has become a distraction for the Blue Jays. Knowing his contract demands doesn’t help
When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays walked away from the negotiating table in February, the only publicly known detail was that the sides never got “close” to finalizing a long-term contract extension.
Guerrero admitted as much when he met with reporters prior to the Jays’ first official workout on Feb. 18. The front office responded by debating the semantics of what not getting “close” meant.
In the days that followed, even insiders such as Jeff Passan of ESPN and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic were unable to add much context. The lone report offering more came via former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, who suggested Guerrero asked for a 13-year deal worth $583 million (U.S.).
That rumour became more credible on Thursday after Guerrero did an interview with ESPN Deportes. The Jays slugger didn’t provide the exact number he was looking for, but he came pretty close while drawing comparisons to the $765-million deal Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets in December.
We’re talking about many fewer millions than Soto, more than a hundred million less,” Guerrero said in a Spanish interview translated by ESPN. “It was the same number of years, but it didn’t reach ($600 million). The last number we gave them as a counteroffer didn’t reach 600.”
That suggests Guerrero was seeking well over $500 million, which seems excessive for a guy who has only lived up to expectations in two of six big-league seasons. There’s no denying the talent, but there are questions about consistency with a lifetime on-base plus slugging percentage of .863.
Miguel Cabrera holds the record for the largest guaranteed contract for a first baseman at $240 million (U.S.). Bryce Harper got $330 million as an outfielder before transitioning to first. Anything north of $426.5 million would make Guerrero the second-highest paid player in MLB history, trailing only Soto.
Guerrero has twice put up seasons with an OPS of .940 or higher. He also has three years at .791 or below, which is not the level required from an impact piece. If Guerrero has an MVP-calibre performance in 2025, perhaps $500 million will seem reasonable; if he struggles, it will be little more than fantasy.
Only a select few will blame the Jays for not paying the slugger what he wants, but the front office shouldn’t be let off the hook. Their mistake wasn’t the lack of a long-term deal this off-season. It was not getting something done earlier, when the asking price was much lower.
