Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. hasn’t hit a home run on the field this season but apparently has hit his biggest one in private.
The slugging first baseman has agreed to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays on a 14-year, $500 million contract extension that ranks second only to Juan Soto in terms of up-front dollars.
Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets on Dec. 11, 2024.
First reported by Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the Guerrero deal is not official, pending a physical. Neither he nor the Blue Jays have confirmed the agreement.
Slow Start
The son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, Sr. – perhaps distracted by ongoing negotiations and persistent trade rumors – is hitting only .256 so far in the young 2025 season but has yet to find the range for a home run.
That is surprising for a player who hit 48 home runs in 2021, when he finished second in the voting for American League Most Valuable Player, and 30 last year, when he topped 100 runs batted in for the second time in his career.
Eligible for free agency this fall, he would be the top available hitter if he fails his pending physical.
At 26, Guerrero, Jr. seems to be the picture of health. But his emotions have had a roller-coaster ride during the recent off-season as his contract negotiations took a roller-coaster ride rife with rumors of potential trades.
In New York over the weekend, he was cheered by Mets fans at CitiField in the wake of stories suggesting he could follow Soto to the team if wealthy owner Steve Cohen out-bid other suitors for the slugger. Incumbent New York first baseman Pete Alonso has an opt-out in the two-year, $54 million contract he signed on Feb. 12.
Signing Guerrero, widely considered the Face of the Franchise in Toronto, was critical for the Jays, who were strong contenders for the services of Shohei Ohtani, Soto, Roki Sasaki, and other premier free agents who eventually signed elsewhere.
Other Free Agents
The team finished last in the American League East last season, compounding the need to keep Guerrero, Jr. – not to mention fellow veterans Bo Bichette, the starting shortstop, and Chris Bassett, a top starting pitcher. Outfielders George Springer and Daulton Varsho plus pitchers Kevin Gausman and Chad Green could test free agency following the 2026 campaign.
According to Roster Resource, Toronto ranks fifth among the 30 teams with a projected 2025 payroll of $275 million. Among American League teams, only the defending league champion New York Yankees pay their players more.
The Jays split their first 10 games this season, winning five of seven at home but losing all three games of a just-completed weekend series against Soto and the Mets at CitiField in Flushing, NY.
Completing negotiations with Guerrero, Jr. would not only lift team morale but would make it easier to find teammates motivated to follow in his financial footsteps.
It would also help general manager Ross Atkins and president Mark Shapiro, whose contracts also expire at the end of the season. Both began with the team in 2015.
The team is owned by Rogers Communications.
The Jays have not won a pennant since 1993, when they won their second consecutive World Series.
Guerrero, Jr. would be the biggest name among the growing group of players receiving extensions since the season started. Among them are Kristian Campbell, Garrett Crochet, Ketel Marte, Jackson Merrill, and Brandon Pfaadt.