Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro is not exactly managing expectations when it comes to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s future with the organization.
Shapiro told reporters Thursday that he firmly believes the Blue Jays will re-sign Guerrero to a long-term contract, even though the two sides have ended negotiations. Shapiro said he believes a deal will get done because both the Blue Jays and Guerrero are motivated to reach an agreement at some point.
“When it comes to Vlad’s contractual situation, I guess my overarching feeling is one of optimism,” Shapiro said. “I think we’re going to sign him. I think we’re going to extend him. The reason I feel that way is because we have such a clear alignment on the desired outcome. Vlad wants to play his whole career as a Toronto Blue Jay. We want him to end his career in a Blue Jays uniform to be a true legacy player for the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s a pretty good place to start.
“The challenge has been, that area we’ve talked about before, finding the sweet spot of sharing risk. What defines that sweet spot? Different contracts, different moments in time that make it more of a challenge or less of a challenge, ultimately. Sometimes free agency provides the clearest answer to that. Could be before free agency, could be after free agency. But I’m optimistic we will sign him. That’s how I feel.”
Guerrero hasn’t said goodbye to the Blue Jays, but he made it plain that he will be entering free agency after the two teams couldn’t agree on an extension by the beginning of spring training. It’s unclear if that would remain the case once additional clubs are engaged, but recent reports indicate that the two sides were about $50 million apart.
If Guerrero does hit the open market, he do so as a 26-year-old who can anchor a lineup. A player like that will receive enormous demand that could raise his price tag. Despite Shapiro’s optimism, it is not unreasonable to wonder if the Blue Jays already missed their best chance at keeping the star first baseman.
Guerrero hit .323 for the Blue Jays last season with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. Another season like that could push his value even higher as he enters free agency after the 2025 season.
