Heyman: Red Sox, Mets, Yankees 'Early Favorites' for Vlad Jr. in 2025 MLB Free Agency

Now that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has confirmed he will test free agency next offseason after failing to work out a long-term extension with the Toronto Blue Jays by his self-imposed deadline, the initial list of potential suitors for the four-time All-Star includes most of the big-market clubs you would expect.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the "early favorites" to sign Guerrero include the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and New York Yankees.

The Mets immediately stand out because they were already trying to figure out a way to trade for Guerrero this offseason, per ESPN's Buster Olney. Owner Steve Cohen is more than willing to open the wallet for a superstar player, as evidenced by extending Francisco Lindor soon after acquiring him in 2021 and signing Juan Soto as a free agent this offseason.

Of course, the Mets' situation could depend on Pete Alonso's status. He returned to Queens on a two-year, $54 million contract that includes a $24 million player option for 2026.

The Yankees haven't been that aggressive lately in terms of spending for position players. New York did give Aaron Judge a nine-year, $360 million contract when he was a free agent after the 2022 season, but most of their work has been done either via trades or short-term free-agent agreements.

This offseason, for instance, the Yankees acquired Cody Bellinger and signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year contract. They've tended to be more aggressive with spending on pitching, as evidenced by the eight-year, $218 million contract for Max Fried.

Boston dipped its toes back into the deep of the free-agent pool by signing Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract last week. The structure of that deal could require the Red Sox to go back into free agency next offseason because he has opt outs after each of the first two seasons.

Of the three teams cited, the Red Sox have the fewest payroll commitments currently on the books for 2026 at $200.6 million. The Yankees are at $214.7 million, followed by the Mets at $257.7 million.

Guerrero, who will play this entire season at 25 years old, figures to be one of the most sought-after free agents next offseason because of his age and track record of performance.

A two-time Silver Slugger winner, Guerrero has hit .288/.363/.500 with 160 homers in 819 career games. He has finished in the top six in AL MVP voting twice, in 2021 and 2024.