The Blue Jays–Vladimir Guerrero Jr. saga seems far from over. Since Guerrero signed a one-year deal with the Jays earlier this year to avoid arbitration, the rumor mills have gone into overdrive. Now, just one week into the regular season, the lengthy talks between the Blue Jays and their star first baseman seem to be nearing a conclusion. While the Jays are reportedly set to meet Guerrero’s expectations, fans are eager to hear directly from him. So, where will he ultimately end up post-2025? This question has been posed to the 26-year-old slugger several times, but this time he finally responded.

MLB insider Mike Rodriguez claims that the Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are “very close” to reaching a contract extension that would keep Guerrero in Toronto for the next 10–13 years. The deal is reportedly set to match Guerrero’s initial expectation of around $500 million. While Guerrero and the Jays failed to reach an agreement before his self-imposed February deadline, talks between the two sides never fully broke down. Now, Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro seems optimistic about bringing Vladdy back for the long haul.
“I think we’re going to sign him. I think we’re going to extend him,” Shapiro said.

The reason behind Shapiro’s eagerness to lock in Guerrero lies in Vladdy’s outstanding stats. Guerrero has a career slash line of .287/.362/.499 and is coming off a season where he appeared in 159 games for the Jays, hit 30 home runs, drove in 103 runs, and lowered his strikeout rate. With the team reportedly ready to meet his demands, the spotlight now shifts to Guerrero: what is he thinking? “Like I said before, I’m playing right now. I’m concentrating on the games, on my teammates,” Guerrero said to SNY. Thus, putting all the rumors about his contract with the Blue Jays to rest. Let’s take it in a way that nothing is concrete yet from Guerrero’s end.

Thursday’s game between the Mets and Blue Jays further fueled the rumors regarding Guerrero. For those unaware, there was a huge applause from the Mets fans when Vladimir Guerrero was introduced. The fans present are aware of Guerrero Jr.’s upcoming free agency unless he signs a deal with the Blue Jays before the regular season ends. They also recall when the Mets inquired about him during the winter. Of course, the Mets didn’t get Guerrero Jr. and re-signed Pete Alonso, but the fan response proves otherwise. It’s difficult to silence those rumors. While Guerrero outrightly declined his inclination toward the Mets, he is indeed looking for a better winning team.

The Jays’ poor postseason stint is making Guerrero rethink

An intensely competitive AL East division, inconsistent pitching, and poor performances from key players are some of the causes of the Blue Jays’ postseason difficulties. They entered the playoffs last in 2023 but in a losing cause and last won a World Series in 1993. This year also seems to be no different with Fangraphs does not give the Blue Jays a good rating for their chances of making the playoffs. The Blue Jays haven’t made enough roster improvements, particularly in their offense. Not enough to contend with the Yankees, Orioles, and the rest of the AL East. The game against the Mets proved that the Jays still have a long way to go before becoming a winning team.

As per the MLB analyst, Rob Longley, Vladimir Guerrero is looking for a “winning team.” Could the Jays be that winning team? They would have considered the Jays getting their hand on either Roki Sasaki or Juan Soto. While they were in contention for both the hot names but ended up on the losing side. Considering the figures Guerrero is posting figures comparable to the likes of Juan Soto, he surely deserves a better lineup and a successful postseason stint. Guerrero’s career 160HRs is good compared to Soto’s 179 homers. So, it’s a positive sign that the team matches the $500 million demand of Guerrero. However, it would take a winning approach from the Jays to get hold of the slugger.

While Guerrero is now focusing on this year and leaving the rest to his agents, fans’ patience will be tested to see the final decision.

Do you think Guerrero will end up with the Blue Jays? Let us know your views in the comments below.