Vlad Jr. signs a new deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays agree on a 14-year, $500 million contract extension, pending a physical. The deal will keep Guerrero Jr. in Toronto the remainder of his career. Guerrero, 26, a four-time All-Star and son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero. He previously stated he would not negotiate during the season after failing to come to an agreement. The deal is third largest in Major League Baseball history, behind only Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets and Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

They had tried to sign Guerrero to a long-term deal for years to no avail. Toronto got a glimpse of Guerrero’s talent when he debuted shortly after his 20th birthday in 2019 and homered 15 times as a rookie. Guerrero’s breakout season came in 2021, when he finished second to Ohtani in American League MVP voting after hitting .311/.401/.601 with 48 home runs and 111 RBIs. Guerrero followed with a pair of solid-but-below-expectations seasons in 2022 and 2023, and in mid-May 2024, he sported an OPS under .750 as the Blue Jays struggled en route to an eventual last-place finish. Over his last 116 games in 2024, the Guerrero of 2021 reemerged, as he hit .343/.407/.604 with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs.

Toronto’s long-term commitments will allow for significant financial flexibility. In addition to Bichette and Scherzer, right-hander Chris Bassitt and relievers Chad Green and Erik Swanson are free agents after this season. After 2026, the nine-figure deals of outfielder George Springer and right-hander Kevin Gausman also come off the books. With the extension in place, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Guerrero is expected to remain at first base and reset a market that had been topped by the eight-year, $248 million extension Miguel Cabrera signed just shy of his 31st birthday in 2014.

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