3 moves the Blue Jays need to make after failing to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Tuesday marked one of the most important days in Toronto Blue Jays history, as it was Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s self-imposed deadline for he and Blue Jays to reach a contract extension. And, unfortunately for Blue Jays fans, that deadline came and went without an extension despite Toronto's front office saying it extending a “record setting offer” to the popular face of the franchise.

And, unless general manager Ross Atkins is able to make magic happen, Guerrero is now destined to enter free agency upon the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Here are three moves Toronto should make in response to help salvage the situation, the upcoming season and the future of the franchise.

3 moves the Blue Jays need to make after failing to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Extend Bo Bichette right now

Both Bichette and Guerrero had been the leaders of the Blue Jays over the past half decade, and the bulk of the Jays’ rebuild leading up to their debuts had been focussed on finding the right pieces to help complement them. Over that period, they've both grown into incredible offensive forces while helping lead the Blue Jays to some success on the field.

Now, with Guerrero on his way out by the end of the year, the Jays cannot afford to also lose Bichette, who will also be a free agent at the end of the season. Losing both would signify the end of the current era and would mean a rebuild is on the way. As a result, the Jays much pivot and lock down the 26-year-old star shortstop.

Yes, Bichette is coming off the worst season of his career, but he was also plagued with injuries. It wasn’t too long ago that Bichette led the American League in hits in back-to-back seasons, and there’s no question he's one of the most prolific hitters in the game when healthy.

And there always seems to be some kind of trade rumor swirling around Bichette, the Blue Jays should put that in the past and offer him a contract extension representative of his value.

If the Jays show him the money and continue to add impactful players, Toronto should be able to do continue to field a competitive team.

Trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as soon as possible

If Atkins truly believes Toronto won't be able to extend Guerrero, then the best course of action would be to to trade him as soon as possible.

The Jays can't risk losing Guerrero for nothing by playing out the season and then letting him walk to free agency. He's the best asset that the organization has and could bring back a king’s ransom in a trade.

if Guerrero does end up playing for Toronto this season, the Jays would be taking a big risk in that he doesn't get hurt and/or underperform, thus hurting his trade value.

We don't have to look that far back to find an example of that happening to the Blue Jays.

Entering the 2018 season, the Blue Jays had plenty of suitors interested in trading for Josh Donaldson's services, but the Toronto chose to hold on to the former MVP for the 2018 season.

Donaldson would go on to have an ineffective and injury-plagued season where he posted an uncharacteristic .234 average with just five home runs and 16 RBI in 36 games before being traded to Cleveland ahead of the waiver wire deadline, with Julian Merryweather serving as the lone piece that Toronto was able to get in return.

The Jays can't let history repeat itself.

Guerrero’s value will never be higher than it is right now, as the acquiring team would have him for the entire season as opposed to him just being a second half rental, which can end up making a huge difference.

Last offseason, the Padres dealt Juan Soto to the Yankees in a trade that netted them a massive return that included Michael King and Randy Vásquez — two pitchers who helped lead the Padres to the postseason.

As a result, the Jays should act now to maximize the number of assets they could get for Guerrero.

Start getting Orelvis Martinez ready for first base

If the Jays are really going to start preparing for a post-Guerrero world, the final move they should make is prepping top prospect Orelvis Martinez to be the first baseman of the future.

Having Martinez play first base would the Blue Jays in a variety of ways. Not only would it allow for John Schneider to have a way to keep Martinez in the lineup, but it would also help the Blue Jays have to avoid picking through next year's weak free agent class at first base. Other than Guerrero, the only top-tier option would be Canadian-born Josh Naylor. After that, the drop off in talent is massive, as the remaining names include Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana and Josh Bell.

While players like Pete Alonso, Yandy Díaz and Rhys Hoskins could be available if they opt out of their contracts, having Martinez at first would be a good contingency plan.

Martinez is the offensive power-hitting prospect that the Jays have in their system and would be the best internal option to replace Guerrero's production. Martinez been on a 30+ home run, 100+ pace in the minor leagues over the past three years, and most pundits seem to think that his power should easily translate to the major leagues.

While he missed a significant chunk of 2024, he seems poised to bounce-back in 2025.

While the Jays have given Martinez reps at second base, third base and shortstop over the past few minor league seasons, his defense has left a lot to be desired. His defensive deficiencies could be minimized at first base while also maximizing the presence of his bat in the lineup — not dissimilar to what the Blue Jays did with Guerrero Jr. when he first entered MLB.