Fastball

Toronto Blue Jays Star Vladimir Guerrero Says He's "Ready to Go" on Contract Extension

Locking up Guerrero Jr. would go a long way towards providing some clarity for the organization.

Brady Farkas

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) hits a double against the Boston Red Sox in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre on Sept 25.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) hits a double against the Boston Red Sox in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre on Sept 25. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
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In each of the last two offseasons, the Toronto Blue Jays have struck out on landing their top outside targets. They fell short in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes in 2023 and fell short in the Juan Soto race this year.

However, if they can retain one of their own, that would feel like a huge win. Superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is going to be a free agent at the end of the 2025 season and the team should desperately want to re-sign him for several reasons.

First, it's always good to keep homegrown players around. Any time a homegrown player signs a contract extension, it's a huge win for everyone in the organization, and it sends a solid message to players in your system. Second, the Jays are at a crossroads and having Guerrero Jr. in the fold long-term would provide some clarity. He could also help entice other free agents to join the club, since clarity would exist for them also.

Guerrero Jr. went on a Spanish-language podcast recently and discussed his future.

Per Jays reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith:

Speaking to @Abriendosports
Vlad Guerrero Jr. says he’s been discussing a possible extension w/ Blue Jays & is “ready to go” on a long-term deal for the right offer. Also: he says he doesn’t plan to negotiate after 1st full day of spring training & Jays front office knows this

Guerrero Jr. also says that he's been offered an extension already that isn't close to what he's looking for, but he didn't discuss what those numbers were.

With Guerrero Jr. setting spring training as a deadline for conversations, there is pressure on the Jays front office now, as they have about 50 days to get something settled.

Guerrero Jr. is coming off a great 2024 season, hitting .323 with 30 homers and 103 RBI.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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