Vlad Jr. agrees to 14-year, $500M extension with Blue Jays

 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s 14-year, $500 million contract deal was revealed by the Blue Jays on Wednesday, instantly becoming one of the most significant events in the team's history.

“This is a monumental moment in franchise history. Vlad has been part of our Blue Jays family since he was 16 years old and has captured the heart of our city and country,” said Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro in a statement. “There are very few in the game today that can say they have played for more than two decades with the same team, and we are immensely grateful Blue Jays fans will get to see Vlad finish his career where it all began. The name Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will forever be synonymous with the Toronto Blue Jays.”

It resets the clock on this club and surpasses George Springer's six-year, $150 million contract as the highest in Blue Jays history.

The Blue Jays have been plagued by Guerrero's contract problems for years, but when he came at Spring Training with a deadline of February 18—the first day of full-squad workouts—as a deadline for negotiations, the spotlight brightened. However, a story of this size never goes into hibernation, and it only got bigger during the camp as figures and assessments surfaced, including in interviews with Guerrero himself conducted in Spanish.

Everyone can finally let out a breath. When Guerrero made his debut in 2019 as the game's top prospect, he symbolized baseball's next great hope in Toronto. However, with free agency approaching at the end of this season and no postseason victory to show for this era, there was a lot of pressure and anxiety surrounding this season. At last, we can put the terrible conclusion out of our minds and start thinking about the Blue Jays' future once more.

Guerrero's 25 season isn't off to a great start, but he made a comeback in 2024 as one of baseball's most feared hitters, displaying the kind of skill that would have earned him the AL MVP Award in 2021 had it not been for Ohtani's skill. From the naive 16-year-old prospect from the Dominican Republic to the more experienced and outspoken leader in this clubhouse, he has grown up with this franchise.

For years, Vladdy was a symbol of hope. The Blue Jays' organization's future is now permanently linked to Guerrero, and just when it seemed like that hope was going to die, it has been rekindled with greater vigor than ever.