The Vladimir Guerrero Jr. saga was always going to end one of two ways.
In one version of the ending, Guerrero leaves, either via trade at this year’s deadline or by signing with another team in free agency. The other version of the ending was the storybook alternative, in which the homegrown prospect-turned-star stays for the next decade-plus in the city that he helped bring back to baseball relevance.
Given the way the past few seasons have gone — and the two sides’ failure to get an extension done during the offseason — the former was looking like the far more likely outcome. Because while this team has had plenty of hype since 2020, Toronto has disappointed over the past five years, including three first-round playoff exits via sweep and missing the postseason twice. Even worse than their on-field record, as the years have gone by, the Blue Jays have tried and failed to sign marquee free agents, including Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasai and Juan Soto. Meanwhile, the clock has been ticking on their window to contend with shortstop Bo Bichette and, more importantly, first baseman Guerrero.
But on Sunday, the Blue Jays accomplished what many in the industry had begun to think was impossible, signing their homegrown, 26-year-old superstar to a 14-year, $500 million extension that will likely keep Guerrero in a Blue Jays uniform for the rest of his career.
At a time in baseball when many teams have decided to sit on their hands or let paying homegrown stars be someone else’s prerogative, the Blue Jays deserve a lot of credit for making this extension happen.
After failing to reel in the biggest fish in Ohtani two offseasons ago and Soto this past winter, there was no way that Toronto could say they were all-in on winning as an organization while letting their four-time All-Star walk out the door. And after seeing how Toronto’s front office wined and dined some of baseball’s biggest stars, there’s no question that Guerrero wanted to feel wanted, reportedly turning down a $500 million offer with deferrals earlier this spring.
Guerrero’s self-imposed spring training extension deadline and his openness with the media about his desire to stay in Toronto put all the pressure on Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins. The star created a sense of urgency not only to get an extension done but also to prevent a potential dark cloud from looming over ...
