Vlad Jr. is staying in Toronto, after all.
After months of negotiations, the Toronto Blue Jays reached an agreement Sunday with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a 14-year, $500 million extension pending a physical, sources briefed on the terms told The Athletic.
The contract does not include deferrals, giving Guerrero in present value the second-largest guarantee in major-league history. Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets ranks first. Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers is massively deferred, lowering its present value to $460.8 million, according to Major League Baseball’s calculations.
Unlike Soto and Ohtani, Guerrero secured his guarantee — and a $35.71 million average annual value, the 11th-highest ever — without hitting the open market. He was not eligible to become a free agent until the end of the season, but said repeatedly he wanted to remain with the Jays, who signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 when he was 16.
The loss of Guerrero would have been a major blow to the Jays’ embattled front office, which failed in bids for Ohtani, Soto and other high-priced free agents the past two offseasons. His extension, on the other hand, represents a critical step forward, securing the Jays’ franchise cornerstone through 2039. Guerrero, 26, not only is a homegrown star, but also was born in Canada while his father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., was playing for the Montreal Expos.
The deal came together in recent days, despite Guerrero opening the season without an agreement. The Jays, after failing to find common ground with Guerrero before his initial, self-imposed deadline of Feb. 18, finally yielded to his desire for $500 million in present value.
The Blue Jays had several chances to lock up Guerrero for a lower guarantee earlier in his career, but continually failed to meet his price. And when the Mets signed Soto to his $765 million contract in December, the market for elite young hitters changed.
In the end, Guerrero accepted a deal for $265 million less than Soto. He would have been a year older than Soto as a free agent, and is not as consistent or accomplished a hitter. Neither player is a particularly skilled defender or baserunner — unlike Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker, the next position player in line for a monster deal.
Just as Soto’s deal inflated the price for Guerrero, the Guerrero contract almost certainly will have profound implications for the Cubs with Tucker, who remains eligible to hit the market this offseason. Tucker, 28, is two years older than Guerrero, but a superior all-around player. The Cubs, based on their recent spending, seem unlikely to make the effort the Blue Jays did to keep Guerrero.
After talks in February broke down, Guerrero told reporters he was open to reviving discussions with the Jays, saying, “I won’t close the door if it’s a realistic offer.” He kept the door open, if ever so slightly. And on Sunday, the Jays finally kicked it down.
(Top photo of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
