Vlad Guerrero Jr. Says 'I'm Very, Very Happy to Stay Here' After Blue Jays Contract

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is thrilled to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays after the two sides agreed to a 14-year, $500 million contract extension (including a $325 million signing bonus).

"If I tell you that it's not a big relief, I'd be lying to you," Guerrero said Wednesday, per ESPN News Services. "It's always been my goal to be here. And I feel like I accomplished that, and I'm very, very happy to stay here and to be a Blue Jay."

Guerrero's deal is now the third-biggest contract in MLB history, behind only those of New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto ($765 million) and Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani ($700 million).

The face of the franchise got his well-deserved contract, and the money is certainly a big plus for him. But Guerrero stressed that the organization and Toronto both mean a lot to him, to the point where he really didn't want to head elsewhere.

"I've never seen an organization that's a class organization as a family," Guerrero said. "It's been 10, 11 years that we've been here. I mean, like I say, this is family for me -- the team, the city, the fans, it's family. To tell you the truth, I wasn't really feeling to go elsewhere and meet new people."

This is obviously a huge win for the Blue Jays, who risked losing their superstar next offseason after his contract expired. The 26-year-old Guerrero is a four-time All-Stare and two-time Silver Slugger who most recently hit .323 (.940 OPS) with 30 home runs and 103 RBI last year.

He'll play an integral role in Toronto's hopeful turnaround after the team went 74-88 last year following back-to-back playoff appearances.

Toronto is off to a nice start in doing just that, going a solid 8-5, good enough for sole possession of first place in the AL East thus far.