Blue Jays 'Will Never Close the Door' on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Contract Talks, GM Says

Five days out from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s self-imposed extension deadline, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said his team will "never close the door" on negotiating with its star first baseman.

"We've worked extremely hard on keeping Vlad here for a long time," Atkins said Thursday, per Chris Nelsen of the Associated Press. "The desire is strong and we will continue to do that. We will never close the door."

Guerrero is currently set to hit unrestricted free agency after the 2025 season, per Spotrac. He said in December he does not plan to negotiate an extension past the first full day of spring training, per Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Abriendo Sports.

The Blue Jays are set to begin full-squad spring workouts on Tuesday.

Atkins continued, per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson: “I don’t want to get too far into the weeds on the negotiation, because anything I share there decreases the likelihood of us getting something done, which is our goal. I can say that we have worked very hard to find a way if there is one.”

Atkins added that the Blue Jays would be "very respectful" of Guerrero's Tuesday deadline.

The 25-year-old slashed .323/.396/.544 last season while hitting 30 home runs and a career-high 44 doubles.

He and the Blue Jays avoided arbitration this winter by agreeing to a one-year, $28.5 million deal ahead of his age-26 season in 2025.

Negotiations for a longer-term deal have been less successful. Guerrero reportedly previously rejected an offer of more than $340 million from the Blue Jays, and Spotrac pegs his market value at more than $427 million.

The Blue Jays could theoretically put that kind of money on the table. Sportsnet's Shi Davidi and Nicholson-Smith reported they made "the shortlist" of candidates with a sub-$700 million offer to sign Juan Soto, who eventually went to the New York Mets for $765 million.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported last month the Blue Jays would seek both MLB players and "top prospects," and get back more than what the San Diego Padres received by trading Juan Soto to the New York Yankees, to "even think about" a Guerrero trade.

Atkins has been consistent in saying he hasn't considered trading Guerrero. If the two sides can't compromise by Tuesday and the first baseman sticks to his deadline, however, the Blue Jays may have to at least consider fielding offers this season.