Blue Jays Urged To Trade $29 Million Superstar; Could Royals Swing Blockbuster?
The Kansas City Royals need offense. How far are they willing to go to attain it?
After losing to the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, the Royals know they have a long way to go before they can truly call themselves World Series contenders. Some drastic action is required this winter to ensure the Royals can achieve their full potential in 2025.
Offense will be the number-one priority on the Royals' offseason to-do list, and another superstar in the middle of the order to pair with Bobby Witt Jr. would be the dream scenario. Perhaps the Toronto Blue Jays can help make that dream scenario a reality.
The Blue Jays finished in last place in 2024, and their two young superstars are both entering their final years of team control. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report made the "unpopular" suggestion on Tuesday that Toronto could trade first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. this winter.
"Bo Bichette is the core star the Blue Jays will reportedly be looking to move this winter, but they'd be better off shopping Guerrero," Rymer said. "There's also the straightforward matter of value. Bichette had a lost season in 2024, while Guerrero posted a .940 OPS and topped 30 homers for the third time in four seasons."
While it might seem unlikely that the Blue Jays would consider moving the 25-year-old Guerrero after the year he just had, Rymer rightfully makes the point that his value will never be higher. He's set to make close to $29 million this season, and if the Blue Jays won't be able to re-sign him after next season, trading him is undoubtedly the smart move.
That brings us to the next point: Could the Royals really swoop in and acquire a superstar like Guerrero? It's somewhat unlikely they'd be able to extend him as well, though ownership would be wise to try.
If the Royals are truly all-in on 2025, then bringing in Guerrero is the best possible thing they can do to increase their World Series odds, short of signing Juan Soto for $600 million. And as was the case with Soto playing alongside Aaron Judge this year, perhaps playing with Witt would be incentive to stick around in Kansas City.
Is a trade for Guerrero the ultimate longshot? Perhaps, but sometimes it's the high-risk shots you take that pay off the most.
More MLB: Royals Could Land All-Star, Former Batting Champ In Blockbuster Trade With Rays
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org