Vlad Jr. Rumors: Jays to 'Reassess' Trade by MLB Deadline After Failed Contract Talks

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly not expected to attempt to trade superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. prior to the start of the 2025 MLB season, but the possibility could be explored during the campaign.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Blue Jays are likely to begin the season with Guerrero in their lineup, although they may "reassess" the idea of a trade once the July trade deadline draws closer.

Guerrero set a self-imposed deadline of Monday for him and the Jays to come to terms on a contract extension, but it didn't happen. Per Passan, Guerrero said the Blue Jays didn't come close to his asking price with the slugger adding, "They had their numbers; I had my numbers."

While the Jays and Guerrero technically could strike a deal on a new contract during the season, Vlad seems intent on hitting free agency next winter, saying: "I'm here. We didn't get an agreement. Now, they're going to have to compete with 29 other teams."

Guerrero, who will turn 26 on March 16, is one of the best young offensive players in baseball, having earned four consecutive All-Star selections.

He is also a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, a one-time Gold Glove Award winner and he finished second in American League MVP voting in 2021.

Guerrero had something of a down year by his standards in 2023, as he slashed .264/.345/.444 with 26 home runs and 94 RBI. Aside from the COVID-shortened 2020 season, those numbers represented the worst batting average of Vlad's career and his fewest homers and RBI since his rookie season in 2019.

The son of Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero bounced back in a big way last season, though, hitting a career-best .323 to go along with a .396 on-base percentage and .544 slugging percentage. He also hit 30 home runs and drove in 103 runs.

Guerrero's 6.2 WAR was the second-best mark of his career, trailing only the 6.7 WAR he posted in 2021 when he hit .311 with a career-high 48 homers and 111 RBI.

The decision on whether or not to trade Guerrero during the 2025 season will likely come down to how competitive the Blue Jays are in the playoff race.

After making two consecutive playoff appearances, the Jays missed the postseason in 2024, finishing with a 74-88 record, which was their worst mark since 2019.

Passan reported that the Blue Jays struck out in their pursuit of two superstar free agents over the past two offseasons in Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. They reportedly also missed out on signing first baseman Pete Alonso, starting pitcher Max Fried and third baseman Alex Bregman this offseason despite their best efforts.

Toronto did add power-hitting outfielder Anthony Santander, slick-fielding second baseman Andrés Giménez and 40-year-old pitcher Max Scherzer, but it is unclear if that will be enough to take it from a 74-win team to a playoff squad.

If the Blue Jays do not look like contenders around the time of the deadline, they would likely be wise to trade Guerrero because of the package of high-end prospects he could command.

The Los Angeles Angels opted against trading Ohtani in 2023 since they were technically still in the playoff race by the deadline, but that decision backfired, as they missed the postseason and Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ensuing offseason.

Toronto could be faced with a similar decision this season, and whatever the front office does, it figures to have massive implications for the future of the franchise.