Vladimir Guerrero Jr. says he and Blue Jays were never close in extension talks, will likely head to free agency

On April 26, 2019, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ushered in a new era for the Blue Jays when he made his MLB debut.

A little less than five years later, it seems as if that era has come to an end.

In speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Guerrero confirmed that he and the Blue Jays had failed to reach an extension ahead of his self-imposed deadline of Tuesday, and that he'll likely enter the offseason as a free agent. Guerrero said he and the Blue Jays weren't close in negotiations.

"Listen, I want to be here," Guerrero said though interpreter Hector Lebron, per Sportsnets' Shi Davidi. "I want to be a Blue Jay for the rest of my career. But it's free agency. It's business. I'm going to have to listen to 29 more teams and they're going to have to compete."

The lack of an extension sets up what will likely be an uncomfortable eight months between Guerrero and the Blue Jays.

The 25-year-old is making $28.5 million this year through arbitration (the third-highest amount ever given to a player through the system) and reportedly was seeking a contract in the $400 to $500 million range.

A potential Guerrero extension would have been the biggest contract in Blue Jays history. Geroge Springer's six-year, $150 million contract is currently the biggest in franchise history.

Guerrero's been one of the best hitters in baseball since making his MLB debut. He's slashed .288/.363/.500 in 819 career games with 349 home runs, 551 RBI and 177 doubles. He's a four-time All-Star who finished as the MVP runner up in 2021.

While the Blue Jays struggled as a team last season, Guerrero didn't miss a step. Not only did he hit 30 home runs, but he also drove in 100+ RBI for the second time in his career. His 199 hits were a career-high.

The Blue Jays are now at a crossroads. While they made some win-now moves in the offseason by signing Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer, they're now staring down the very realistic possibility of losing the heartbeat in the middle of their lineup.

Couple that with Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins' contracts also being up after this year, and things have a chance to get really awkward at the trade deadline.

And maybe there's a chance that the Blue Jays change their tune and decide to meet Gurerrero's number at some point in the season or in the offseason next year. But if they do, they'll have to bid against the other 29 teams in baseball.

"I know my worth," Guerrero told reporters.