Where Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s $500M Blue Jays Contract Ranks Among Soto, MLB Stars

After an offseason full of contract negotiations, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly landed on an extension.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Guerrero and the Blue Jays agreed to a 14-year, $500 million contract, pending a physical.

After the massive pay day for Guerrero, here's a look at where his contract ranks among other stars, via Spotrac.

Top Paid MLB Players

1. Juan Soto, New York Mets: 15 years, $765 million
2. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers: 10 years, $700 million
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays: 14 years, $500 million
4. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels: 12 years, $426.5 million
5. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers: 12 years, $365 million
6. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 9 years, $360 million
7. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 11 years, $350 million
8. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 10 years, $341 million
9. Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres: 14 years, $340 million
10. Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies: 13 years, $330 million.

While locking down stars to decade-plus deals is nothing new in baseball, the figures for those long-term deals have only gotten bigger every year. The Dodgers reset the market last offseason when they gave Shohei Ohtani a then-record $700 million deal, but the Mets broke that record this offseason with their contract for Juan Soto.

While Guerrero didn't get quite as much money as Ohtani and Soto, the Blue Jays still gave him more money than proven stars like Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Aaron Judge and more.

Considering what Guerrero has done in his first six years, it's fair to say he's earned that kind of money and respect. He's a four-time All-Star and has finished inside the top six in AL MVP voting twice, including in 2021 when he was runner-up to Ohtani.

Last season Guerrero hit 30 homers, 103 RBI and had a career-best .323 batting average. He's looking for more of the same this year.

The Blue Jays now have their superstar secured to a long-term deal, and the next step is surrounding him with talent and building a championship-caliber roster. As good as Guerrero has been, Toronto has been to the postseason just three times and still hasn't won a playoff game during his tenure.

While giving Guerrero such a rich contract will make free agent spending a bit harder, the Blue Jays should be able to lure in some talent by pitching the prospect of getting to play alongside Guerrero.