Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Named Player with Most at Stake in 2025 By ESPN Writer

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Toronto Blue Jays star has made a big bet on himself, and that comes with real risk in addition to high upside.

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) takes a break during spring training at Cecil B. Englebert Complex in 2025. / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

In the first full week of spring training, there are two big storylines around baseball.

One is that Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers doesn't want to move off third base in order to accommodate the team's signing of Alex Bregman.

The other is that the Toronto Blue Jays and superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. failed to agree to a contract extension before spring training started. Guerrero now insists that he's headed to free agency after the 2025 season where he'll be the most coveted player on the market.

As a result of those contract developments, Jeff Passan of ESPN recently listed Guerrero as the player with the most at stake during the spring, and really the entire 2025 campaign.

When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rejected the Toronto Blue Jays' final attempt at locking him up to a long-term contract extension, he cemented himself atop the list of players with plenty to gain (or lose) not just this spring but the entire forthcoming year. The recent history of players turning down nine-figure deals includes smashing successes and face-palming failures.

MLB spring training intel: Players with most at stake, key position battles and who could still get tradedhttps://t.co/UH020ja4Uo

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 20, 2025

Passan cited Juan Soto and Aaron Judge as players who bet on themselves and succeeded, while also reminding us that Pete Alonso bet on himself and lost this offseason. Turning down a big contract offer certainly comes with risk. Reports have indicated that Guerrero turned down at least a $300 million offer or so not that long ago.

Guerrero is coming off a year in which he hit .323 for the Blue Jays with 30 homers and 103 RBI. Just 25 years old, he's already a four-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger.

He finished sixth in the American League MVP voting in 2024.

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