The pressure is on the Blue Jays to lock up Vlad Guerrero Jr., a superstar who’s a Canadian citizen (remember, his Hall of Fame dad played for the Expos) and favorite son, and do it by Guerrero’s deadline of the Jays’ first full-squad workout Feb. 18. But they still need to get in the ballpark he’s residing.
They aren’t there yet.
Guerrero is believed to be seeking north of $400M and probably closer to $500M after Juan Soto received his record $765M contract. Like Soto, Guerrero is only 25 heading into his walk season, and although he’s not Soto (he had a mundane 116 OPS-plus in 2023 before his stellar 166 last year) and the first base market tanked, fairly, he’s probably the player most affected by Soto’s deal.
The Jays reportedly offered about $340M, suggesting they may see Rafael Devers as the comp. That might have worked a year ago, but times change, and markets move. They are expected to keep trying, however.