Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays Reportedly Still Have 'Gap' After New Contract Offer

The Toronto Blue Jays and superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reportedly still aren't close to an agreement on a long-term contract extension.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Blue Jays recently made Guerrero a new offer, but a "gap" remains between the two sides.

Guerrero, 26, has spent his entire six-year MLB career in Toronto, but he is currently set to become a free agent at the end of the 2025 campaign.

Per Olney, Guerrero originally set a deadline to get a deal done for the first day of spring training, although additional negotiations have taken place since then.

While the exact number Guerrero and his representatives are looking for remains unclear, Guerrero said it was less than $600 million, and reports suggested he and the Blue Jays were about $50 million apart at one point.

In February, Guerrero told reporters that all 30 MLB teams will have a chance to sign him if he hits free agency.

Despite Guerrero's discussion of free agency and the Blue Jays' inability to lock him up thus far, team president Mark Shapiro recently expressed optimism that it would happen, saying:

"I think we're going to sign him. I think we're going to extend him. We have such a clear alignment on the desired outcome.

"Vlad wants to play his whole career as a Toronto Blue Jay. We want him to end his career in a Blue Jays uniform and be a true legacy player for the Toronto Blue Jays. That's a pretty good place to start."

Over his six-year career, Guerrero has established himself as one of the top first basemen and all-around hitters in the game.

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

Last season was Guerrero's best since 2021, as he hit a career-best .323 to go along with a .396 on-base percentage and .544 slugging percentage. He also racked up 30 home runs, 103 RBI and 98 runs scored.

Over the past two offseasons, historic contracts have been handed out, and Guerrero is likely in line to land one of the richest deals of all time as well.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract prior to the 2024 season, and the New York Mets then inked Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million deal this past offseason.

While Guerrero is likely to fall short of those numbers, he could at least approach them if he puts up huge numbers again in 2025 and hits the open market.

Guerrero and the Blue Jays will get their 2025 regular season started Thursday afternoon when they host the AL East rival Baltimore Orioles.