Blue Jays Extend Homegrown Star to Record Deal

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TORONTO, CA: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is not leaving the Toronto Blue Jays. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Blue Jays and their star agreed to a 14-year, $500 million contract agreement on Sunday. There are no deferrals included in the reported arrangement.

After Juan Soto's $765 million contract with the New York Mets, the agreement is currently the second-largest in big league history in terms of present value. Significant deferrals are included in Shohei Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Guerrero, 26, will now remain with the Blue Jays until the 2039 season is over. Given that he will be 40 by then, this agreement essentially keeps him in Toronto for the remainder of his Major League Baseball career. Although Guerrero may be eligible for free agency at the end of this season, he has reportedly wanted to stay with the Blue Jays since the outset.

Born in Canada while his father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., played for the Montreal Expos, he was signed by the organization at the age of 16 from the Dominican Republic. From his MLB debut in 2019, the younger Guerrero has been a reliable star for the team.

Despite the team's 74-88 record and elimination from the playoffs, the four-time All-Star had a .323 batting average, 30 home runs, and 103 RBI in the previous season. Through nine games this season, Guerrero has a .286 batting average, four RBI, and ten hits.

During the offseason, Guerrero and the Jays were negotiating this agreement, but they were unable to complete the deal before the original February deadline. Although he didn't entirely cut off communication with the team, Guerrero reportedly ended negotiations with them before spring training. It was alleged that he had expressed his desire for $500 million.

It looks like the Blue Jays gave their hero exactly what he wanted with their new contract. It's unknown what would have happened if Guerrero had gone free, but it's obvious that the team didn't want to take that chance. It remains to be seen if Guerrero will be the catalyst for the Blue Jays to win their first World Series since 1993, but the Blue Jays now understand that they can develop around him for many years to come.