Cliff Floyd Makes Prediction on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Future With Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are running out of time to work things out with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the baseball world is taking notice.
Guerrero apparently won't engage in contract extension talks once the 2025 season gets underway, which could prove costly considering he is slated to hit free agency in November. Once on the open market, Guerrero could get poached by any number of big market clubs looking to add a 26-year-old All-Star to the middle of their lineup.
Cliff Floyd – who was teammates with Guerrero's Hall of Fame father on the Montreal Expos in 1996 – was on MLB Network's "MLB Tonight" on Tuesday, fielding questions from studio host Greg Amsinger about what lies ahead across the league this year. When asked whether or not Guerrero would end the season with the Blue Jays, Floyd said he ultimately believes Toronto will cave and give in to the slugger's demands.
"This team needs him, the city needs him," Floyd said. "The money is gonna be there, I know he knows that, but I think he knows what's at stake. ... I think he stays, I think they figure it out. I don't know if they're $100 million off or $150 million off – whatever it is, they better figure out how to bring the Brink's truck and back it up and pay this man because you can ill-afford to lose him in that city.
Guerrero hit .323 with 30 home runs, 44 doubles, 103 RBI, a .940 OPS and a 6.2 WAR in 2024. He was named an All-Star for the fourth year in a row, finishing sixth in AL MVP voting and earning a spot on the All-MLB First Team for the second time in his career.
Since making his big league debut in 2019, Guerrero has hit .288 with an .863 OPS. He has averaged 32 home runs, 35 doubles, 100 RBI and a 4.3 WAR per 162 games in that time, winning two Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove along the way.
Guerrero has missed a grand total of 12 games over the last five seasons, showing incredible durability at first base.
Homegrown stars of Guerrero's caliber don't come around every day, so losing one in the middle of their prime would represent a massive blow to the Blue Jays' hopes of taking the next step as a franchise. Toronto's front office has swung and missed on several top free agents over the past two winters – Shohei Ohtani, Matt Chapman, Juan Soto, Max Fried, Corbin Burnes and Teoscar Hernández chief among them – but watching Guerrero slip through their grasp would be something else entirely.
In the end, the Blue Jays may end up paying Guerrero more than they'd like to. Still, at least they would avoid the embarrassment of trading him on the cheap or letting him walk out the door for nothing.
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