Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 30, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Toronto Blue Jays intend to continue pursuing a contract extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after missing out on superstar outfielder Juan Soto in free agency. The failed pursuit comes one year after they were unable to sign Shohei Ohtani.
“We are committed to always being fair and being consistent. Nothing has changed in terms of our pursuit of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and we are very hopeful to extend him,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.
A Guerrero extension has become a focal point of the Blue Jays’ offseason with Soto off the board, as the 25-year-old is destined to become a free agent after the 2025 campaign concludes.
“It’s definitely one of them,” manager John Schneider said on MLB Network after being asked if extending Guerrero was priority No. 1.
“Vladdy’s a special guy, special player. … We want him to be with us as long as possible. He knows that. We’ve expressed that to him a lot over the years. Hopefully we can get something done. We want what’s best for him and best for us. Vladdy’s gonna get taken care of and we definitely want that to be in a Jays uniform.”
Atkins said that while the Blue Jays “had a lot of interest” in signing Soto and would consider making budget exceptions for players like him or Ohtani, the organization has to operate efficiently when considering payroll increases for other players like Guerrero.
“Every player, every acquisition is unique. I would say that those two are incredibly unique,” Atkins said in reference to Soto and Ohtani.
“Could there be other avenues where there are opportunities to be a bit more nimble or agile with our payroll? Yes. But we try to operate in the most efficient way possible with a set of parameters to start, then present opportunities as they come.”
Guerrero said in July he would like to stay in Toronto after a report claimed his camp and the Blue Jays had discussed a contract extension but were not close to reaching one.
In September, Guerrero added the Blue Jays need to “get better at everything.” The club finished last in the AL East despite a tremendous season from the four-time All-Star, which included 30 home runs, 103 RBIs, and a .940 OPS (166 OPS+).
The Blue Jays haven’t made any significant additions this offseason and non-tendered closer Jordan Romano, who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
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