Blue Jays rumored to have grand Vladimir Guerrero Jr. plans after arbitration deal

Well, there is at least some clarity regarding the Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. now. It took a while on Thursday, but the two sides agreed to a deal to avoid arbitration; Guerrero Jr. will make $28.5 million in 2025, which also happens to be his final year of team control. Not quite the record-breaking arbitration sum that some thought he could get, but still a very healthy raise.

Of course, Blue Jays fans want to know what this could mean for Vladdy Jr.'s future in Toronto. On the one hand, the two sides did come to an agreement to avoid an arbitration hearing, which is certainly a step in the right direction vs. last year. However, there has seemingly been little progress towards an extension for Guerrero Jr., and the fact that talks went down to the wire just to come to terms on his 2025 salary doesn't seem to bode well for where the two sides stand on a much more lucrative extension.

Now that the dust has settled a bit, though, there does seem to actually be a glimmer of hope.

According to a rumor from Hector Gomez, who's had some scoops in the past, the Blue Jays will make a second offer to Guerrero Jr. and that offer will be "very close" to what Guerrero Jr. has been asking for in negotiations.

If the rumors are true, we could see big progress in extension talks between the Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. soon

There is a big caveat here. Without independent confirmation elsewhere, the assertion that Blue Jays will be significantly increasing their offer to Guerrero Jr. soon needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt.

That said, the Blue Jays do have to do something soon, and extending Vladdy Jr. would send a strong signal to prospective free agents that the organization is looking to compete in the short and long-term. It doesn't hurt that Guerrero Jr. is one of the league's best power hitters and a ticket draw all by himself, which adds to his earning potential.

Before this development, the rumor was that that the two sides were at least $100 million apart in talks. Whether "very close" means that Toronto could be looking to up their offer $60-80 million, or perhaps even higher, may be the difference between closing the deal and not here.

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