Blue Jays news: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension, Canadian connection, Gausman blasts Manfred

This hasn't been the offseason that Toronto Blue Jays fans had been hoping for. Coming off a last-place finish in the AL East, and with just one year of team control remaining over stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, this winter was a crossroads for president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins: Find a way to get back to contention (and convince Guerrero Jr. and Bichette to stick around long-term) or find new employment.

The results so far? A whole lot of nothing, for the most part. The Jays re-signed Yimi Garcia as bullpen depth and swung a trade for Cleveland Guardians infielder Andres Gimenez, two moves that do technically fill roster needs but certainly don't move the needle enough to have fans feeling good about the team's odds of competing with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in 2025. The team's big free-agent targets, from Juan Soto to Blake Snell, never seemed to give Toronto much thought, and now it seems like Corbin Burnes is likely headed elsewhere as well.

Of course, the offseason is far from over. There's still talent available, and still plenty of time for Shapiro and Atkins to come up with something. Are there big moves in store? Is there any hope at this point of signing Guerrero Jr. to a contract extension? Let's run through the latest rumors.

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Blue Jays news: How likely is an extension for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

Sportsnet's Jeff Blair has run through the possibilities for Guerrero Jr. from here, and makes the case for (very cautious) optimism that an extension might still be in the works before Opening Day. Player and team have had a largely positive relationship thus far, and we know that Jays ownership (especially with a ton of cash slated to come off the books next offseason) definitely has the money to offer Vladdy a deal that would blow the first-base market out of the water — with opt-outs that would still allow him to hit free agency again at age 30 or 31 should he eventually want out of Toronto.

Hard as Blair tries, though, it sure seems from here like Guerrero Jr. is set on testing the market next winter. Maybe the Jays are just moving in silence. Maybe Vladdy wants to cash in on a big year in 2024, see some significant money now and still leave his options open for the back half of his prime. But while he certainly won't reach the heights Soto did in free agency, his age and offensive impact could reasonably command something north of $40 million a year on the open market, especially with big-market teams like Yankees sure to be sniffing around.

There's just not a ton of evidence that Guerrero Jr. is willing to cut the Jays a break here, and if he's not, the team will have to go truly above and beyond to make it worth its star's while to forgo his first crack at free agency.

Blue Jays news: Toronto interested in Canada native Nick Pivetta

No matter whether Guerrero Jr. signs a new deal or not, Toronto needs to upgrade its pitching staff in a significant way if it wants to vault back into contention in 2025. Early efforts on that front haven't been encouraging, to say the least, but the team has now reportedly pivoted to someone who might be more likely to take the Rogers family's money: Victoria native Nick Pivetta.

Pivetta's occasional blowups make him a bit maddening to watch, but his upside is undeniable, and he pitched to a respectable 4.14 ERA (103 ERA+) with 172 strikeouts in 145.1 innings last season. He misses bats in bundles, and you could do a lot worse as a mid-rotation option behind Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios. It might not be the frontline splash Jays fans are hoping for, but at this point he may be the best available option.

Blue Jays news: Kevin Gausman rips Rob Manfred over proposed rule changes

Speaking of Gausman: It's safe to say that Toronto's ace doesn't have a particularly high opinion of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. Fresh off his floating of the now-infamous "golden at-bat" idea, Manfred was asked about how MLB can revitalize the importance of the starting pitcher in this era of openers and third-time-through-the-order penalties.

Manfred acknokwledged that something needed to be done, although he shot down the notion that the league would consider instituting a minimum-innings rule per outing. Gausman, however, isn't buying it. "Don't believe a word this man says," the righty posted on X. "Get ready for 6 innings you get to keep the DH, if not a fan hits in their spot."

We can't really blame Gausman for not taking Manfred at his word; he has been known to say one thing and then do another over his time at the helm.