MLB insider’s ominous Vladdy prediction should have Blue Jays fans nervous

Toronto Blue Jays fans everywhere may already feel disappointed once again this offseason. Despite making a big splash in landing star infielder Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians, the Jays have missed out on the biggest fish in the free agent market for the second consecutive year. Juan Soto would sign a massive 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets, leaving Toronto in the dust once again for coming so close, yet still so far.

However, if that wasn’t already bad enough, what MLB insider Bob Nightengale recently projected for the Jays going forward will no doubt leave the entire fanbase extremely nervous. Nightengale made the ominous prediction that the Blue Jays star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be the grand prize of next year’s free agent class in that his price tag would likely soar as a result of Soto’s mega deal.

MLB insider’s ominous Vladdy prediction should have Blue Jays fans nervous

That’s the last thing the Jays’ faithful would want to hear. After all, the way Nightengale put it, it sounded like Guerrero will never sign an extension. That way he could eventually cash out big time just like Soto did by hitting the free agent market next offseason. Losing out on Soto was already painful on its own, but potentially having arguably the Jays’ best player leaving after 2025 as well would be flat out devastating on many fronts.

Since making his MLB debut in 2019, Guerrero had been the Jays’ main driving force behind their offense for the past few seasons. Averaging over 30 home runs and 100 RBI over a 162-game schedule pace each season throughout his career while batting close to .290, Guerrero is as reliable and dominant as one could get. Who knows where the Jays would have been without the 25-year-old superstar. 

On top of that, as the current face of the franchise, Guerrero had previously expressed that he wants to stay and win with Toronto and that his heart is with the Jays. More importantly, he kept that stance even through the Jays’ struggles this past season. For someone as loyal and dedicated to the team and winning, you don’t want to lose a rare valuable gem like that. 

But if there was anything positive to take out of Nightengale’s speculation of Guerrero, at least his overall offensive numbers haven’t been as close to what Soto has put up in recent years. Therefore, his direct comparison in value between the two superstars wouldn’t be as valid. However, if Guerrero manages to reproduce the numbers from his MVP-calibre 2021 season in his free agency year next season and the Jays fail to have a firm extension in place by then, then this potential nightmare scenario proposed by Nightengale could indeed become a reality.