Vlad Guerrero Jr. to Test MLB Free Agency as Blue Jays Weren't Close in Contract Talks

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is poised to hit free agency next offseason after being unable to agree to terms on a long-term deal with the Toronto Blue Jays by his self-imposed deadline.

Speaking to reporters after arriving at spring training on Tuesday, the 25-year-old said he doesn't plan to negotiate an extension in-season.

Guerrero has said he would not talk about an extension after reporting to camp. The four-time All-Star added the two sides were never close to a deal in their talks.

In the lead up to Guerrero's self-imposed deadline, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said the team was doing all it could to get a deal done.

"We work extremely hard on keeping Vlad here for a long time," Atkins told reporters on Feb. 13. "That desire is strong, and we will continue to do that."

The looming free agency for Guerrero casts another dark shadow over a Blue Jays organization that has a lot of scars in contract negotiations recently. They made a competitive offer for Shohei Ohtani last year before he chose the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Toronto was one of the final teams in the Juan Soto sweepstakes before he signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.

The Blue Jays seemed to think they had enough of a shot to sign Rōki Sasaki that they made a deal to acquire additional international bonus money from the Cleveland Guardians a few hours before he signed with the Dodgers.

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It speaks well of the organization that they are at least trying to spend big at a time when many MLB clubs are cutting back, but the Blue Jays' inability to land these players will only add to the panic fans feel with Guerrero staring free agency down next offseason.

Guerrero figures to be one of the most sought-after free agents when he hits the market. He will only be 26 years old, has made four straight All-Star appearances and has two top-10 AL MVP finishes (2021, 2024).

Since making his MLB debut in 2019, Guerrero ranks 13th among all position players in FanGraphs' offensive value. He owns a .288/.363/.500 career slash line with 160 homers in 819 games.