Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is one of the best players in recent Toronto Blue Jays memory, and at just 25 years old (26 in March), you'd think that would mean the team would stop at nothing to keep the star first baseman.
Alas, the Blue Jays appear to be interested in finishing second even for their own in-house stars. After Guerrero's self-imposed deadline of February 17 passed without an extension in place, he told reporters (including MLB.com's Keegan Matheson) that he won't be signing one with Toronto at all.
“They expressed what they had. I expressed what I had. I’m here, and we didn’t get an agreement. Now, they’re going to have to compete with 29 more teams,” Guerrero said.
That's a pretty definitive statement from the slugger, who is the son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero. If it rings true, the Blue Jays have officially dug themselves a hole too deep to get out of.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the biggest star Blue Jays have swung and missed at
Now, just because this ultimatum has passed, it's not impossible to envision a future where Guerrero sticks around in Canada long-term.
In that same report by Mattheson, club president Mark Shaprio suggested that though the two sides are far apart in negotiations, the goal is still to keep the young prodigy in Toronto.
"On a personal level, there’s disappointment, because I recognize it’s special when you have a player who was signed, developed, came to the big leagues and played his whole career with one team. I think about players like Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr., Kirby Puckett and what it can mean to be a legacy player, a franchise player. That was — and is — our hope for Vladdy.”
Let's be honest, though: Guerrero sounds like a guy who wants out. He's been vocal in the past about his love for Toronto and its fans, but this franchise is going nowhere fast.
The Blue Jays continue to swing and miss at their top free agent targets. It's become a running joke at this point. From Shohei Ohtani to Juan Soto to Roki Sasaki, the team always seems to finish as a "finalist" without ever actually crossing the finish line in first.
Even their signing of notable free agent Anthony Santander came with some caveats. This just isn't a franchise that has been able to attract stars in free agency, and general manager Ross Atkins should have recognized this while negotiating with Guerrero.
Now, the Blue Jays stand to lose their homegrown superstar, potentially for nothing more than a compensatory draft pick if they don't deal him at the trade deadline this year. It's ironic that the one superstar player that was willing to play in Toronto was already on the roster.
Soon enough, he may not be anymore. There's really no other way to spin that other than as a massive failure for the entire Toronto Blue Jays organization.