Blue Jays’ reported trade demands for Vladimir Guerrero Jr make their intention clear

The Toronto Blue Jays have had their fair share of rumour involvement this offseason, with connections to Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Roki Sasaki before missing out on signing why of the three.

Even prior to those, trade rumours had begun to surround superstar infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It seems the Blue Jays would be looking for a monster trade package to entertain any trade offers for him. Reports have said they would be looking for something that exceeds the value the San Diego Padres received from the New York Yankees in exchange for Juan Soto in 2023. 

That package included Michael King, Kyle Higashioka, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and Drew Thorpe. King and Higashioka were major players in the Padres' 2024 success while Thorpe was used in the trade for Dylan Cease. Brito and Vasquez aren't spectacular, but they provided important pitching depth for San Diego.

If the report is accurate that the Blue Jays want that kind of trade package in return for Guerrero Jr., that seems to be the same thing as saying they don’t want to trade him. In fact, all reports seem to point to the two sides trying to work toward an extension before the season gets underway.

Blue Jays trade demands for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. don’t make sense for any team in the MLB

There are plenty of teams who could use Guerrero Jr. on their team as they try to contend, including the Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets. However, none of those teams would likely consider moving out that many pieces to bring him in when there is no guarantee he would re-sign with them. While he is great both defensively and offensively, teams would be taking a great risk on their future if they chose to move that many players for him. 

Maybe there is a team that chooses to do that. Maybe there's a way the Blue Jays see a deal they can’t refuse and decide to entertain a trade offer for Guerrero Jr. However, it doesn’t seem likely that’s going to happen before the 2025 season begins. Expect the slugger to remain in Toronto until at least the trade deadline, if there's no extension agreed upon in the coming months.