Final month the Toronto Blue Jays did not reached a long-term contract extension with first baseman and franchise participant Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero set a Feb. 18 deadline for talks (Toronto’s first full squad exercise) and the 2 sides had been unable to succeed in a deal. He’ll turn out to be a free agent after the season and can take a look at the open market.

“We did not get an settlement. Now they will need to compete with 29 different groups,” Guerrero stated following his self-imposed deadline. “… That they had their numbers, I had my numbers. It is simply enterprise, like I all the time say. Issues occur. We’re all good.”

Guerrero confirmed the Blue Jays supplied a $340 million extension early within the offseason, earlier than Juan Soto modified the panorama along with his document 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets. We do not know what Toronto supplied on the Feb. 18 deadline. We do know what Guerrero requested for although. He confirmed this week he sought a deal price lower than $600 million.

This is what Guerrero instructed ESPN’s Enrique Rojas and Ernesto Jerez earlier this week:

“It is a lot lower than Soto. We’re speaking about many fewer hundreds of thousands than Soto, greater than 100 million much less. … It was the identical quantity of years [as Soto’s contract], nevertheless it did not attain [$600 million]. The final quantity we gave them as a counteroffer did not attain 600,” Guerrero stated.

“I do know the enterprise. I lowered the wage calls for a bit, however I additionally lowered the variety of years. … I am in search of 14 [years]. I would love 14, 15, even 20 if they offer them to me, however doing it the proper approach.”

Guerrero, like Soto, is getting into his age 26 season. Soto was a 12 months youthful than Guerrero when he hit free company and his 15-year contract takes him by way of his age 40 season. Guerrero stated he requested for “the identical variety of years” as Soto, which means a 15-year deal that takes him by way of age 41. For a star participant in his mid-20s, a deal that takes him to age 40 will not be an unreasonable ask.

Previous to his extension deadline, we listed Guerrero as certainly one of 10 extension candidates getting into spring coaching, and we workshopped a proposal that got here out to $585 million. This is the write-up:

Lately, stars get signed by way of age 39 (Mookie Betts, Aaron Choose) or 40 (Soto, Manny Machado). That is the magic quantity. To signal Guerrero by way of age 39, it will be a 13-year deal beginning in 2026. Name it $45 million a 12 months and that is $585 million complete. And given the leverage Vlad Jr. has over the Blue Jays, that might turn out to be 14 years at nearer to $50 million per 12 months actual fast. Loopy? Yeah, possibly, although contracts for stars of their mid-20s all the time all the time wind up bigger than anticipated. Keep in mind, at the moment final 12 months, we had been speaking about Soto possibly cracking $500 million. No matter you suppose Guerrero will get, take the over.

Guerrero stated his supply to the Blue Jays was the identical variety of years as Soto (15) but additionally price lower than $600 million, so lower than $40 million per 12 months. Soto ($51 million), Shohei Ohtani ($46.1 million after deferrals), Choose ($40 million), and Alex Bregman ($40 million earlier than deferrals) are the one $40 million per 12 months place gamers in baseball proper now.

Phillies’ Bryce Harper would change positions for proper first baseman; may that embody Vlad Guerrero Jr.?

Mike Axisa

Whether or not giving Guerrero a 15-year deal price near $600 million is a brilliant baseball transfer is a separate matter. Given the contract panorama for star gamers of their mid-20s, Guerrero and his camp weren’t being unreasonable by looking for a contract that locked him up by way of age 40 and approached $40 million a 12 months. That is what it prices to signal prime gamers this younger.

Final season, Guerrero authored a .323/.396/.544 batting line with 44 doubles and 30 residence runs. That earned him a sixth-place end within the AL MVP voting on a last-place staff that went 74-88 and missed the postseason by 12 video games. Since his MLB debut in 2021, Guerrero’s 137 OPS+ is the seventh highest among the many 41 gamers with no less than 3,000 plate appearances.

Guerrero will not be the one core Blue Jays participant scheduled to turn out to be a free agent after his season. Chris Bassitt, Bo Bichette, and Chad Inexperienced may even hit the market. Toronto has cash to spend. They’ve pursued a number of big-name free brokers in the previous few years, together with Ohtani and Soto. They only have a tough time getting gamers to take their cash.