Blue Jays find out hard way Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won't do favors like Shohei Ohtani

The Toronto Blue Jays have about a month to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as the third baseman and his representation have set a tentative deadline for the start of spring training to agree to a new contract. If the two sides can't reach an agreement, then Guerrero Jr. will likely become a free agent next winter – or the Blue Jays will trade him before that ever happens.

The most recent nuggets of information regarding the Guerrero Jr. extension talks are courtesy of Scotty Mitchell, who is the Blue Jays reporter for TSN. In an interview with 1st Up, Mitchell went in-depth about what the Blue Jays have tried thus far, and just how wide the gap is between the two sides.

“There was apparently one 10 year (offer), one 11 year one, and one that came with a whole lot of deferred money, which the Vladdy camp was not interested in any sort of deferred money," Mitchell said.

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Toronto Blue Jays won't find money in the banana stand to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

A current CBA loophole allows for teams to defer money well into the future as it pertains to contracts with high-priced players. Look no further than Shohei Ohtani, who is deferring $68 million of his $70 million AAV until 2034. Then, from 2034-2043, he'll receive the remaining $68 million per year from the Dodgers, which will not include interest.

While it was intriguing idea from the Blue Jays perspective, not every player in Ohtani. Guerrero Jr. wants his money now, and Toronto is not Los Angeles. The Dodgers are built to win multiple World Series in part because they can afford to attract the best free agents and trade targets to sunny California. The Jays, even with Guerrero Jr., are a borderline AL Wild Card threat at best.

The most damning comment from Mitchell came later, when he said the Blue Jays have yet to offer Guerrero Jr. a deal over $400 million. The sad reality for Toronto and Ross Atkins is that if they fail to meet Guerrero Jr.'s price point now, he will likely find a suitor who will next winter. That's just how free agency works, and Guerrero Jr. sounds inclined to be wined and dined in 2025.

Guerrero Jr. is a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, Home Run Derby champion and gold glover. He had a 6.2 WAR last season which, while impressive, was not his career best (that came in 2021, 6.7) and .940 OPS. Guerrero Jr. has finished top-6 in AL MVP voting twice, including last season. Those accolades don't grow on trees, especially north of the border.

Yes, signing Guerrero Jr. would be expensive, and will likely require most of that money up front. There are no shortcuts to extending a generational talent.