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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. says Blue Jays still haven’t discussed a contract extension with him

“They are going to have to pay me sooner or later, whether it's this team or another.”
Charles Kime
Charles Kime

Jays Journal

Toronto Blue Jays v New York Yankees / Dustin Satloff/GettyImages

Dominican sportswriter and MLB Insider Héctor Gómez interviewed Vladimir Guerrero Jr., at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York this past weekend, and got some insight into where things stand on a potential contract extension for the 25-year-old Blue Jays superstar.

Translated from his original comments in Spanish, Vladdy says, “I would like the Blue Jays to offer me a contract extension, but they have not done so yet. Right now I am focused day after day. I'm calm, because no matter what, they are going to have to pay me sooner or later, whether it's this team or another".

He’d already said something similar to ESPN MLB reporter Enrique Rojas after his arbitration hearing against Toronto when he was awarded his $19.9M arbitration salary request ahead of spring training in February.

Translated from the original Spanish quote, Rojas wrote, “Not only does he not hold a grudge against the Toronto Blue Jays, but he would even be happy to sign a long-term contract that would keep him with the Canadian franchise for the rest of his career… but the club has not made him an offer.”

Bo Bichette has also downplayed talk about contract extension talks, telling Jeff Blair of ‘Blair & Barker’ on Sportsnet 590 The FAN that his focus for now is on getting things right. In terms of extension talks, he said, “That time will come, I’m sure it will… [but] I haven’t had that conversation yet this offseason.”

These comments from both Vladdy and Bo seem to be directly at odds with comments in spring training from team president Mark Shapiro, who stated that contract extension negotiations were “ongoing”.

So while huge numbers get tossed around about another transcendent 25-year-old star in Juan Soto, who is a pending free agent after this season, and what it might cost for the New York Yankees to extend him, Blue Jays fans only get a lack of clarity and a further muddying of the contract extension talks with their homegrown stars.

Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic (subscription required) notes that industry experts expect the bidding to extend Soto in New York will start at $500M.

“He’s got big eyes,” said a source who was with Soto in D.C. “I think he’s after the AAV (average annual value) Ohtani has, without the deferrals.” Ohtani’s current contract, accounting for its record deferrals, is valued at $46M a year, good for the highest AAV in MLB.

While Guerrero’s contract won’t be in the same ballpark as Soto, the bidding on any potential extension talks for both him and Bichette will likely start at 10 years, $300M+. Vlad’s certainly said the right things about wanting to stay in Toronto and play out the rest of his career as a Blue Jay.

However, he clearly understands this is a business, and he’s going to make the right business decision for him and his family. He knows the deal: “no matter what, they are going to have to pay me sooner or later, whether it's this team or another".

Charles Kime

Charles Kime

My true baseball consciousness began with the great Blue Jays teams of the mid to late 1980s with Dave Stieb, Jimmy Key, Tom Henke, George Bell, Lloyd Moseby, Jesse Barfield, Tony Fernández and friends. My first ever game was at Exhibition Stadium, but I’ve also watched games from the RF porch of the old Tigers Stadium, and from both the old and new Yankee Stadium. My most memorable game was Game 5 of the 2001 ALDS when Soriano tied the game, and then Justice’s home run and Mariano put it away to help the Yankees beat Oakland 5-3 to win an emotional series that year. The stands were literally shaking. Follow @CharlieKime1 on X.