One other epic MLB bidding battle is on the horizon with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. now anticipated to hit free company subsequent winter.
The Toronto Blue Jays failed to succeed in a contract extension with the famous person slugger by his Monday evening deadline, so Guerrero plans to play the 2025 season in his ultimate 12 months of membership management.
“They had their numbers,” Guerrero stated Tuesday. “I had my numbers.”
Requested if the Blue Jays got here near extending him, Guerrero replied, “No.”
Guerrero, who turns 26 subsequent month, boasts 4 All-Star choices, two Silver Slugger Awards, a .288 common and 160 dwelling runs over six MLB seasons, all with Toronto. Final 12 months, the right-handed batter set a profession excessive with 199 hits to go together with 30 homers, 103 RBI and a .940 OPS.
Given his age, manufacturing, and the potential curiosity from big-market groups together with the Yankees and Mets, Guerrero seems poised for a serious payday, albeit doubtless not within the stratosphere in what outfielder Juan Soto commanded this winter.
As a primary baseman, Guerrero performs a much less premium place than Soto, who signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets in December.
“I want to be a Blue Jay for the rest of my career, but it’s free agency,” Guerrero stated. “It’s business. I’m going to have to listen to 29 more teams and they’re going to have to compete with that.”
Guerrero confirmed his representatives met with the Blue Jays entrance workplace in latest days however had been unable to get a deal executed.
“Obviously, very disappointed,” Toronto normal supervisor Ross Atkins stated Tuesday. “We worked very hard. The motivation is still there. Confident that every thought, idea we had, every dollar that we had, was communicated.”
Guerrero was born in Montreal, the place his father, Corridor of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, performed his first eight MLB seasons.
The Yankees could possibly be out there for a primary baseman subsequent winter, contemplating they signed Paul Goldschmidt to solely a one-year deal this offseason.
The Mets signed Pete Alonso to a two-year, $54 million contract this month, however the fan-favorite first baseman can choose out after the 2025 season.
Guerrero would be a part of a 2025-26 free-agent class that’s additionally anticipated to incorporate middle-of-the-order hitters in outfielder Kyle Tucker and Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami.
Murakami, a lefty-hitting first baseman, simply turned 25.
This week’s growth continued a tough offseason for the Blue Jays, who missed out on star free brokers together with Soto, Corbin Burnes and Roki Sasaki. Their largest transfer was signing power-hitting outfielder Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million contract.
The Blue Jays completed in final place within the AL East final 12 months at 74-88.
Shortstop Bo Bichette additionally enters this season as an impending free agent.
