Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. discussed long-term deal but didn’t find common ground

TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays have discussed a long-term contract extension but the all-star first baseman says the negotiations didn’t find common ground.

In a brief interview ahead of the club’s home opener Tuesday, the 24-year-old slugger reiterated that he “would love to be here my entire career” but talks “haven't reached the point that there's something serious about it.”

“We're good right now,” he continued through interpreter Hector Lebron, adding later that the discussions not leading to a deal “isn’t going to cause me any stress. I'm going to take care of what I've got to take care of, which is on the field, and the rest I'm going to leave to my agents to work with. I know who I am. I know my value. We're going to keep having conversations, but all my focus every day is here on the field.”

Guerrero, the 2021 runner-up for AL MVP off to a hot start batting .439/.510/.610 heading into Tuesday’s play, is earning $14.5 million this season in his second year of arbitration eligibility.

The Blue Jays have him under contractual control for the next two years after this one, so there is lots of time remaining for the sides to get a deal done. But the closer players get to free agency the more difficult it becomes to keep them from the open market, especially given that on his current trajectory, Guerrero is looking at salaries in the neighbourhood of $20 million next year and $25 million in 2025, if not higher, in his final two years of arbitration.

Another factor for the Blue Jays is that Guerrero, Bo Bichette, Jordan Romano and Chris Bassitt, among others, are all eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.

This past off-season, the free agent market was particularly strong, led by Aaron Judge securing $360 million over nine years from the New York Yankees after aggressive pushes by the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.

How close Judge came to leaving is one cautionary tale for the Blue Jays. Another is how the Boston Red Sox lost Xander Bogaerts to a stunning $280-million, 11-year deal with the Padres before regrouping to lock up Rafael Devers, who would have been a free agent this fall, for $331 million over 11 years.

Teams have moved aggressively in recent years to lock up their franchise players increasingly earlier in their careers, the latest being the Arizona Diamondbacks guaranteeing Corbin Carroll $111 million over eight years despite the outfielder having played in only 43 career games.

Guerrero, with two all-star appearances, a second-place MVP finish and a Gold Glove under his belt, is obviously far more accomplished and would command a much larger guarantee, especially given that his free-agent years begin at the peak-years age of 27.

“Everything is different. Every front office is different,” he said of seeing his peers get extended. “I know who I am. I know my value. Hopefully it's here because I want to stay. But business is business. We'll see. I hope I stay here.”