The Toronto Blue Jays and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have failed to agree on a contract extension before his personal deadline (9 p.m. EST Monday) for the deal, clearing the path for potential free agency in 2026. Last month. the Blue Jays and Guerrero agreed to $28.5 million salary in 2025, his final year of club control. That salary will be the third-highest ever paid to an arbitration-eligible player.
The All-Star infielder said he would not negotiate after he reports to spring training in Dunedin, Fla. Blue Jays pitchers and catchers reported to spring training on Thursday, while Guerrero and the rest of the full squad reported Tuesday in Dunedin. Guerrero told reporters: “No, we did not get an agreement. They have their numbers; I have my numbers. But you know, it’s just business. Things happen. The front office and my agents met. Both parts tried, but obviously we couldn’t get an agreement,” adding that he wants to stay with the Blue Jays for the rest of his career, but will “listen to 29 more teams. I have my number, I changed it a little bit. I tried. But still, it just didn’t happen.”
Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said the franchise and Guerrero’s representatives “couldn’t align on a common number that shared risk. On a personal level, there’s disappointment because I recognize it’s special when you have a player who was signed, developed, came to the big leagues and played his whole career with one team. I think about players like Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr., Kirby Puckett and what it can mean to be a legacy player, a franchise player. That was, and is, our hope for Vladdy.” General manager Ross Atkins said the Blue Jays said they remain motivated to sign Guerrero, but are “obviously very disappointed.”
The 25-year-old Guerrero, who made his highly anticipated MLB debut in 2019, hit .288 with 160 homers over his first six seasons with the Blue Jays. He led the majors with 48 homers, 123 runs scored and 363 total bases over 171 games in 2021, when he hit .311 – finishing second in the American League MVP race that season. The four-time All-Star hit a career-high .323 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs over 159 games in 2024,
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