The Toronto Blue Jays just seem to not have lady luck by their side. They faced a major blow as Corbin Burnes headed to the Arizona Diamondbacks. And Burnes was the last chance for the Jays to turn around the game, but now the chances look slim. Players like Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Anthony Santander sure are there. But on paper, even if they manage to sign any of them, it’s hard to see them as real contenders next season. ​​Jays finished last in the AL East, and their record was a 74-88 record and a 12-game gap from the Wild Card. They have plenty of work to do ahead, and the roster isn’t yet strong.

General Manager Ross Atkins has already missed out on the top free agents in the market, like Juan Soto, Max Fried, and even Teoscar Hernández. Plus now Corbin Burnes, and hence the roster sadly looks pretty much like it did last year. Now they have another set of decisions to make with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, both entering the final years of their contracts. Atkins is okay to move Bichette, but he isn’t okay to let Vladdy go. However, things are not looking quite well.

“Obviously, things have happened,” Guerrero said days back in Spanish and translated into English by Sportsnet, when asked why he hasn’t signed an extension with the Blue Jays. “But they have not reached the price that (I am) looking for, not even close.” Days back, Newsweek’s Jon Vankin had shockingly predicted that the Boston Red Sox would acquire the superstar in exchange for Triston Casas.

“The team taking Guerrero would need the financial capacity to handle his contract demands, and would also need the ability to send back a player who can replace Guerrero in the Blue Jays lineup,” wrote Vankin. “The one team with a young power-hitting first baseman who is still under team control would be the Boston Red Sox, and their 24-year-old first-bagger Triston Casas. With a rate of one homer per every 20 plate appearances, Casas so far has gone yard more frequently than Guerrero, who averages one round-tripper every 22.1 plate appearances,” Vankin had said. Now, Jacob Mountz from Fansided thinks holding on to Vladdy won’t serve the team any good.

So, the Toronto Blue Jays are in a fix because, on one hand, they want to keep Guerrero Jr., their star player. But on the other hand, Ross Atkins hasn’t made any strong moves to lock him in for the long run. He had offered Vladimir a deal of $340 million, which Guerrero Jr. declined. It’s nowhere close to the offer that Juan Soto got, so no surprise there. And Guerrero Jr. is setting his rates, which Atkins hasn’t responded to yet.

Mountz, in his Fansided article, mentions, “Right now, Atkins has two clear options: extend him or trade him.” The latter seems more like a possibility to Mountz, and for it to occur before the trade deadline. This is because Atkins by then can assess whether the Blue Jays are truly contenders. Jacob says that if the team isn’t in contention, keeping Vladdy for the rest of the season without a deal could hinder the future of the team.

For Mountz, keeping a star player like Shohei Ohtani during his walk year without trading him was a big mistake on the part of the Angels. And the Blue Jays shouldn’t make that error with Vladdy. Plus, making the situation more complicated is Jay’s weak farm system. Jacob mentioned, “The Jays are short on talent in their farm system. Keeping Vladdy in his walk year can hobble the Blue Jays for years to come. If Atkins wants to build a future winner, that will most likely start with trading Vladdy.” The market to get Guerrero will anyway not be lacking at all.

Top Comment by Greatmisterx

Shapiro and Atkins are a disaster they need to go but they are not wrong on this.Vlad is overrated he...more

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Debate

Guerrero to head to New York next?

Vladimir Guerrero is not backing off from being in the Blue Jays. He said he is ready to go on a long-term deal. The main sticking point is, of course, the money. Guerrero Jr. will be eyeing anywhere north of $500 million, more so after that monstrous Juan Soto deal. And well, Vladimir is 25, a year younger than Soto, and is coming off a 6.4 WAR season. So he has the most electric bats in MLB right now; of course, he wants a big payday. “My numbers changed thanks to Juan Soto,” said Guerrero. “Shohei Ohtani changed the system for Soto and Soto changed the system for me.”

But given that Ross Atkins isn’t able to retain such high-value players, many are not optimistic about him going back to Toronto. And if and when that goes south, the New York teams can swoop in. The New York Yankees need a long-term solution for first and third base. Given Soto isn’t there, and those are Guerrero’s prime positions, it just fits perfectly. As far as the Mets go, the name—Steve Cohen—says it all.

The man is the richest individual owner in the game. He spent a whopping $765 million on Juan Soto, plus the bonus and extra perks like a suite, security, and more. So that number that Vladimir Guerrero wants, he can give. Plus Guerrero Jr. and Soto are friends, and had Jr. not been injured, then the duo would have played together in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic. Seems like it can be a bidding war between the New York teams yet again for Guerrero Jr. Where do you think he will end up?