Vladdy Watch: Blue Jays slugger Guerrero's deadline for extension approaching

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sits in the dugout before a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

DUNEDIN — Bo Bichette and George Springer sat in a corner of the Blue Jays' locker room on Monday, catching up on things as they prepared for morning workouts at the team’s player development complex.

The stall between them, normally occupied by teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr., remained vacant, save for a few uniforms, hoodies, warm-up pants and three plastic-wrapped baseball gloves.

Normally a presence in the clubhouse well before reporting day for position players, Guerrero is instead working out at a private gym in nearby Tampa as the hours ticked down on his player-set deadline for contract extension talks.

Guerrero, entering the final year of his contract with the Blue Jays, was expected to arrive at camp later in the day for his physical. Position players have until Tuesday to formally report.

Guerrero has said that if extension talks between his agent and the team do not result in a deal by then, he will not continue negotiations.

“Him and the team, it’s kind of like their little room they’ve got to meet in,” said Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis. “It’s different when he walks in the locker-room. We’re not sitting there hounding him about (it). We just want him to play and have fun.”

The 25-year-old first baseman would likely be the biggest name available if he were to become a free agent in the fall.

Guerrero posted a photo of his gym’s workout area on his verified Instagram Stories feed on Monday, complete with a clock emoji.

The pressure is squarely on a Blue Jays' front office that must balance trying to lock down the services of a homegrown face of the franchise with its spending comfort level on deal that would easily be the biggest in franchise history.

General manager Ross Atkins, who was on-site at camp Monday morning, has offered few specifics on the talks. He said last week that the discussions would be the entirety of his focus ahead of Tuesday’s reporting date.

Guerrero hit .323 last season with 30 homers and 103 RBIs. He has been a key offensive cog in the Toronto lineup in recent years.

“We want him to be happy because I know at the end of the day, he’s going to play best when he’s happy,” Francis said. “We just hope that it gets done.

“But we know either way he’s going to be smiling when he walks in. We’re ready to see him.”

Guerrero came up through the Toronto system and made his big-league debut in 2019. In the four seasons since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, he has averaged 34 homers and 101 RBIs a year.

Both sides would be taking a risk by not getting a deal signed.

Guerrero’s stock could drop if his numbers slip or he suffers a serious injury. Of course, another strong campaign would only pad his wallet even more down the road.

The optics of the Blue Jays losing their superstar for nothing would be grim for a franchise with a competitive window that’s open now but may not be beyond this season.

Signing the four-time all-star would also prevent a media circus when the Blue Jays take to the road this year in big-spending markets like New York, Boston and Los Angeles.

Missing out on an extension would also be another blow after Toronto settled for being among the finalists in the pursuit of superstars Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki over the last two years.

The Blue Jays appear to have the money to spend and were active in the free-agent market this off-season as they look to rebound from a disappointing 74-88 campaign.

They signed slugger Anthony Santander to a five-year deal worth US$92.5 million and inked closer Jeff Hoffman to a three-year, $33-million contract.

A Guerrero extension would blow those numbers out of the water. Depending on the term, he could be looking at a deal somewhere in the $450-million range or even beyond that.

The Blue Jays recently avoided arbitration with Guerrero for 2025 when the two sides agreed to a $28.5-million deal for the final year of team control.

Pre-season play begins Saturday against the Yankees. The regular season kicks off on March 27 against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2025.