Have the Blue Jays finally put the rumors to rest and found their guy? It looks so because they just locked in outfielder Anthony Santander. After months of speculation, the two sides have agreed to a five-year, $92.5 million contract. Santander’s power bat will be ready to make some noise in the AL East. Announced late Monday, the deal isn’t just your typical long-term contract.  

According to Santander’s agency, there’s an opt-out, along with an escalated option provision that could stretch the deal to six years and a cool $110 million. With Santander coming off a season where he crushed 44 homers and drove in over 100 runs, the Blue Jays are hoping he’s the missing piece that finally pushes them over the hump. However, according to an MLB executive, the team may be making a mistake.

The Blue Jays might regret signing Anthony Santander 

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the club may come to regret their choice if the transaction doesn’t work out. In an interview with TSN’s 1st Up, Olney referred to the agreement as an overpayment. In just six to eight months, Olney said, the Blue Jays will be questioning their decision. “It could be a contract that in 6 to 8 months they’d be looking to get out of,” Olney stated. Another concern is whether the Jays can sign Vladdy Jr. Olney used the example of the Miles Straw contract which is similar to this situation. The Jays got Straw from the Guardians in hopes of signing the young Japanese player Roki Sasaki. But Sasaki said no.

Now the club is left with a terrible deal with Miles Straw. The same could happen with Anthony Santander. If the Jays can pull it off, and sign Vladdy, pairing him with Santander could give Toronto a dangerous middle-of-the-order for years to come. But if that does not happen, the Jays will have an older guy locked in for the long term. “The order of operations needs to go backwards,” Olney suggested. So if the club is only signing Santander in order to get Vladdy, this method, according to Buster Olney, isn’t going to work.   

Could the Blue Jays trade their slugger before he hits free agency? 

According to some sources, it might be the best time to trade Vladdy. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made a huge comeback last season, reclaiming his position as one of the league’s most formidable sluggers after a dismal 2023 year. Toronto is at a crossroads because Guerrero is expected to make $28.5 million in 2025, his last season before becoming a free agent. Trading him may be their best option as Vladdy may demand too much money considering the kind of contracts players like Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani are signing.

The New York Mets are the franchise that initially sparked the fervor surrounding the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. deal. They seem to be the early favorite in this not-quite-a-sweepstakes (at least not yet) competition. Why? The Mets are in a unique position, aside from the fact that they have previously expressed interest. They don’t have enough roster space to give everyone a chance, but they have an abundance of youthful talent eager to make their big league debut.  

Potential trade chips include names like Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, Jett Williams, Jeff McNeil, and Ronny Mauricio. Mark Vientos is another name that keeps coming up, but given his skill and years of team dominance, relocating him might not be the best course of action. But let’s be honest, Vientos would most likely need to be the main attraction if the Blue Jays were to move Guerrero to Queens. Though it’s just speculation right now, the Mets should be at the forefront and prepared to make an impression if Guerrero does end up on the trade block.