The Toronto Blue Jays’ stakes are hanging in an uneven balance right now. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., their first baseman, has been the subject of encouraging discussions, but the Blue Jays’ subpar farm system has put them in serious trouble. They have had a rough 2024 due to the injuries of multiple players in their lineup, and now the team lacks good, young, talented players who are required to improve their roster.

It appears that the Blue Jays are on the verge of making a big move for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who had a stellar 2024 season with 616 AB, a.323 average, and 103 RBIs. With Guerrero Jr. assumed to acquire $28.5 million in 2025, the extension of his contract might start in 2026 without causing any effects on the Blue Jays’ tax bill. But their worries don’t seem to end the way the Blue Jays are gradually failing to have good young prospects. Isn’t it?

The Blue Jays’ future seems to be at risk with a major failure

This main issue isn’t just whether the Toronto Blue Jays can bring back Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the team. Rather, it is about the poor 2024 season, where the Blue Jays have been affected by multiple injuries of players like Brandon Barriera, Landen Maroudis, and Ricky Tiedemann, who had elbow surgery. Also, Orelvis Martinez was out after his suspension for the PEDs. Despite having some serious talents in their lineup, including Alan Roden, Arjun Nimmala, and Josh Kasevich, they lack the popularity and acclaim. But that’s not all! The Blue Jays have fallen much behind in terms of the farm system rankings too.

While these moves amounted to a significant step in trying to replenish the farm system that ranked at No. 24, it is not enough, to be precise. While Nimmala slashed.167/280/.306 with just a 34 percent strikeout rate, which is rather unsatisfactory, Kasevich seems just fine in his role as a utility infielder, who peaked at 109 mph last year. However, Roden managed to hit the .314/.406/.510 slash line in Triple-A across the 71 games he played.

However, the young people’s prospects are not that good, which is a requirement to establish a winning culture and avoid looming threats to their future. However, amid the search for young prospects, Guerrero Jr.’s dilemma continues for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays’ quest for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continues

While the Toronto Blue Jays can easily afford Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who remains a free agent, there’s no official confirmation yet. Their luxury-tax payroll currently stands at $273.3 million, and thus, there’s around $27.7 million left before hitting a total competitive balance tax threshold of $301 million. Now the main problem is that going beyond that CBT threshold means paying 80% tax extra. So, in that case, the Blue Jays might lose their spot, which would further affect their farm system, causing an imbalance while looking for the young prospects in MLB. But that doesn’t end here!

The Blue Jays are also looking to acquire the services of Alex Bregman, and if they spend $30 million AAV, it’s unlikely that they would spend the same for Guerrero Jr. However, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had an impressive record in 2024 with a.323 batting average, 103 RBIs, and 30 home runs. So, given the impressive performance in the second half of the season, the Blue Jays might just retain him back as he could deliver those extra-base hits and bolster their lineup too.

If the Blue Jays sign Guerrero, they might just regain success, and their fans are very optimistic about his future as one of the best sluggers currently. However, it is too early to tell where he might find his perfect landing spot. What’s your opinion on this? Let us know in the comment section below.