Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did not reach a contract extension before his self-imposed deadline and is set to become a free agent after the 2025 MLB season. Despite an impressive 2024 performance, Guerrero stated that the Blue Jays’ offer fell well short of his expectations, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
He finished sixth in American League MVP voting, recording 103 RBIs and a 166 OPS+—the fifth-highest in MLB. At just 25 years old, Guerrero will hit free agency at the same age as Juan Soto, who recently secured a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets.
Although Guerrero isn’t at Soto’s level, one MLB insider believes he could be the third player to land a contract exceeding $600 million.
During a Bleacher Report stream, Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggested that any team looking to sign Guerrero would likely need to offer at least $600 million. “At this point, with Soto at $765 million, I think it’s probably gonna have to be in the sixes to sign [Guerrero],” Heyman said. Given this projection, the top contenders for Guerrero, according to Heyman, are the Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox.
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Heyman speculated that the Red Sox could be a strong contender for Guerrero, stating, “My guesses would be Red Sox. I don’t know what their thoughts are on [Triston] Casas… He was out there on the trade market, so that’s no impediment to signing Vlad Guerrero Jr. Mets, I know they say they’re gonna be more cautious spending… The Jays, I think he likes the Jays… To me, those are the three teams.”
As Heyman pointed out, the Mets intend to be more cautious with their spending, and Toronto has already shown reluctance to offer Guerrero a $600 million deal. This potentially gives Boston a prime opportunity—but also a significant decision to make.
