By Nicolas Mezzaucella
The Toronto Blue Jays and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. agreed to a 14-year, $500 million contract extension on April 7. After months of speculation and negotiation, the two sides reached a deal on the wealthiest extension in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, surpassing Mike Trout’s 12-year, $430 million extension signed in 2019.
Guerrero Jr. is one of baseball’s premier players and became the franchise player for the Blue Jays when he was called up in 2019. Since then, Guerrero Jr. has won a Gold Glove and two Silver Slugger Awards, is a four-time all-star, and won the Home Run Derby in 2023. He is coming off a career year in 2024, where he slashed .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs.
Rumors began to swirl in the offseason that the Blue Jays were focused on extending Guerrero Jr. before he hit the free agency market at the end of the 2025 season. Guerrero was said to be seeking a deal in the $500 million range, but the Blue Jays were rumored to have offered anywhere from $400 to $450 million.
“The last number we gave them as a counteroffer didn’t reach 600,” said Guerrero Jr. to ESPN.
Still, the Blue Jays’ front office seemed confident they would agree to an extension with Guerrero Jr.
“I think we’re going to sign him. I think we’re going to extend him,” said team president Mark Shapiro. “We have such a clear alignment on the desired outcome.”
With the two sides unable to agree on a deal before opening day, there was added speculation that both parties would table discussions until the end of the season. That was until April 4, when MLB insider Mike Rodriguez posted on the social platform X that the two sides were nearing agreement on a contract. Three days later, the Blue Jays announced they had signed Guerrero Jr. to the record-breaking extension.
Locking up Guerrero Jr. before the offseason began is a great move for the Blue Jays, as Guerrero Jr. would have had many suitors once he reached free agency.
“I’m here. We didn’t get an agreement,” Guerrero Jr. said in February. “Now, they’re going to have to compete with 29 other teams.”
The New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox were among the teams rumored to be interested in Guerrero Jr. if he reached free agency.
With Guerrero Jr. now locked up for the foreseeable future, the Blue Jays can turn their focus to extending their other homegrown star, Bo Bichette. Bichette, who was brought up alongside Guerrero Jr. in 2019, is a two-time all-star and has been one of the league’s most efficient hitters, only tallying one season with a batting average under .290 in his career.
Bichette had a career-worst year in 2024, hitting .225/.277/.332 with four home runs and 31 RBIs in 81 games. His stock is down from where it was going into the 2024 season, but he should still command a $100 million-plus contract whenever he decides to sign.
Extending Guerrero Jr. is the first step in the Blue Jays’ plans for a future at the top of the American League. With another extension candidate in Bichette and top prospects such as Ricky Tiedemann, Arjun Nimmala, and Trey Yesavage waiting in the minor leagues, there is a seemingly bright future to be had in Toronto.
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Photo courtesy of The Boston Globe.