The Toronto Blue Jays are operating out of time—and maybe leverage—in the case of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
In keeping with ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Jays have supplied one other contract extension to their 26-year-old star first baseman. That alone is noteworthy, given Guerrero’s earlier insistence that he didn’t need negotiations to stretch into the common season. However the accuracy is that this: there’s nonetheless a big hole between what Guerrero desires and what the Blue Jays provide.
That hole is reportedly huge. Guerrero reportedly seeks a deal within the $500 million range, putting him amongst baseball’s highest-paid gamers. Whether or not or not that’s a practical consequence, the Blue Jays now face a sophisticated and high-stakes determination: commit long-term to the face of the franchise or threat dropping him in free company after this season.
The problem for Toronto goes far past simply {dollars}. Guerrero is greater than a field rating. He’s a fan draw, a clubhouse chief and the centerpiece of a core the Jays have been constructing round since his breakout 2021 season. Locking him up alerts stability and ambition. Letting him stroll—particularly with no championship for this period—may ship the other message.
This additionally isn’t taking place in a vacuum. Bo Bichette’s future is also unclear, and the Blue Jays farm system isn’t at the moment overflowing with elite position-player expertise able to step in. Guerrero’s loss would depart a gap within the lineup and the group’s identification.
Guerrero has proven flashes of MVP-level manufacturing on the sphere, although he hasn’t exceptionally replicated his 2021 numbers. Critics will level to the inconsistency, however Guerrero’s age, pedigree and upside nonetheless make him one of many league’s most marketable and harmful hitters. He’s additionally been comparatively sturdy, posting strong energy numbers in a lineup that lacked regular offensive output.
The query is whether or not Toronto will meet him within the center—or nearer to the $500M mark. That type of monetary dedication comes with long-term threat, particularly for a primary baseman who doesn’t present elite defensive worth. However letting him attain free company opens the door for deep-pocketed groups—Yankees, Mets, Dodgers—to swoop in.
There’s additionally the fact that Guerrero, regardless of his public feedback, could be keen to play out the season and check the market. In that case, the Blue Jays could also be pressured to contemplate the unthinkable: buying and selling him on the deadline fairly than risking dropping him for nothing.
In the end, this isn’t nearly one participant’s price ticket. It’s about how Toronto sees itself in the long run—are they keen to spend to compete on the prime of the league, or will they retreat into one other rebuild if their stars stroll?
Guerrero’s contract state of affairs received’t simply form this season. It may outline your entire subsequent period of Blue Jays baseball.
