Signed and sealed: Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays complete $500M, 14-year extension

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s $500-million, 14-year extension with the Toronto Blue Jays is signed, sealed and publicly confirmed.

A news release at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday announced the second-biggest contract, in terms of present value, in baseball history, ending a months-long saga with the commitment of the four-time all-star first baseman to the franchise that initially signed him in 2015.

There are no deferrals or opt-outs in the deal, which was finalized after the Blue Jays scrambled to find the necessary resources in the Boston area to conduct a physical once the sides reached agreement as late Sunday became early Monday.

Both in financial scale and long-term implications, the contract is one of, if not the most consequential transactions in team history, with the next decade-and-a-half an opportunity for the 26-year-old to be at the centre of a new golden era, or a period of less promise.

“I haven’t had this conversation with him, but I think he understands that he can be the face of Canadian baseball for a long time if he continues to do what he’s done already in his career,” said Kevin Gausman. “He’s a superstar, he’s exactly what you would want in a franchise guy, he’s great with the fans, he’s a very personable guy, speaks multiple languages, PR person’s dream. Always smiling and always having fun. Happy it got done.”

Guerrero is now uniquely positioned to tip the scales over the long-term, although it will also be up to the front office to ensure the next six-to-eight years of his career peak are fully leveraged now that they’ve been secured at such great cost.

The magnitude of his deal means that the stakes here are also industry-wide, with the guarantee he’s secured pulling the salaries of future players upward, while also forcing clubs to recalibrate the risk/reward between buying out the careers of elite young talent before they’re fully established or waiting until they are a more finished product.

As well, for a first base market that’s largely stagnated since Miguel Cabrera’s $248-million, eight-year deal with the Detroit Tigers was signed in 2014 to cover 2016-2023, both the total outlay and the average annual salary of $35.7 million is something to build upon, although that’s contingent on his performance, too.

“If I put my union hat on … really good for the first-base market,” said Max Scherzer, a former member of the MLB Players Association’s influential executive subcommittee. “We’ve seen first baseman just getting slaughtered in free agency as of recently. So for Vlad to be able to get that much value, hopefully that benefits the first-base market, the hitter market, as well and other guys are able to see years and dollars committed to them now. At the end of the day, it comes down to how well Vladdy executes the contract. You can sign this deal all you want, but you’ve got to execute for everybody else to get paid, as well.”

To that end, Scherzer believes Guerrero, with “his prime still in front of him … can still continue to evolve and push his highs even higher.”

“One thing I’ve always told guys through years is, look, you’re not a finished product just because you’re in year five, year six. There are still plenty of iterations for you to keep getting better at 26,” he continued. “I played with some of the best players ever, especially Miguel Cabrera. I watched him win MVP and then come back better. I always hold people to a high standard like that. I don’t care how good you are. Get better.”

Guerrero worked relentlessly over the winter toward that goal after a brilliant 2024 that set him up for this payday. He batted .323/.396/.544 with 30 homers and 103 RBIs while often exposed as the sole threat in a thin lineup last year, and more is expected of him this season, with Anthony Santander signed to bat behind him. 

So far, batting out of the two-hole instead of his usual spot at three, he’s off to a cold start through the first 12 games at .255/.345/.319 with only three doubles and four RBIs.

That won’t last, of course, although the big contract will mean extra scrutiny, something that’s accompanied Guerrero at each step along the way.

“When you meet guys who are obviously talented and driven, you expect them to have a good career,” said manager John Schneider, who first met Guerrero in 2016 and then managed him at A-ball Dunedin and double-A New Hampshire en route to the majors for both. “I think when you’re talking about hopefully doing it with one team and Vlad’s already kind of turned into one of the faces of the game, very recognizable, he’s been dealing with that for a while.”

Guerrero’s long-term future had been an issue the Blue Jays have been dealing with for a while, but especially since spring training, when he set a Feb. 18 deadline for an extension, only for the sides to quietly continue discussions leading to the deal.

Resolution there is a good thing for Guerrero and the Blue Jays collectively.

“It’s something that’s been talked about from Day 1 of spring training until this moment right now,” Gausman said Monday when word first broke. “I wouldn’t say it’s been a distraction, but it has kind of been the elephant in the room, right? I’m just happy that it’s done and that he’s here to stay. Now we can just kind of focus on winning ballgames.”