Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Likes Yankees Uniform Photoshop amid Blue Jays Contract Rumors

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be thinking about a future in the Bronx.

The Toronto Blue Jays star liked an edited Instagram photo of himself in a New York Yankees uniform on Thursday.

Guerrero told reporters on Tuesday that he and the Blue Jays did not reach an agreement on an extension before his self-imposed spring training deadline. He is set to hit free agency after the 2025 season.

He famously said in 2022 he would "never sign with the Yankees, not even dead" (h/t Héctor Gómez).

Guerrero had softened that stance by last June, when he said he would do his job and help whatever team he played for even if that team was the Yankees (h/t Mike Rodriguez).

None of that means Guerrero is looking for a way out of Toronto. He has reiterated multiple times, as recently as earlier this week, that he wants to remain a Blue Jay for the rest of his MLB career, per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson.

Although Guerrero said he does not plan to continue in-season extension negotiations, he added that he "won't close the door if it's a realistic offer," per ESPN's Jeff Passan and broadcaster Hazel Mae.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins meanwhile said he was "very disappointment" the two parties hadn't reached a conclusion, and that "the motivation is still there" to work out a deal, per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson.

If the Blue Jays and Guerrero can't work out an agreement, Toronto will likely need to move him ahead of the July 31 trade deadline rather than risk letting one of the sport's best young players walk for nothing.

The Yankees make sense as a theoretical fit for Guerrero if he and the Jays part ways. Paul Goldschmidt is holding down first base on a one-year deal. The club theoretically has enough cash to make a competitive extension offer after losing Juan Soto to the intra-city rival New York Mets in free agency.

It seems likely the trade rumors surrounding Guerrero will only quiet down if the Blue Jays manage to come to terms on what could be a record-breaking extension. Atkins said earlier this week the offers they have extended to Guerrero so far would have "made him one of the highest-paid players in the game."