4 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. trades Blue Jays couldn’t turn down after missing on Juan Soto

Things are not going well for the Toronto Blue Jays. Ross Atkins and Co. struck out on Juan Soto one year after striking out on Shohei Ohtani. And largely, they have not been able to simply build a winner, despite having the core in place of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. But with their misses and lack of team success, that young duo of legacy stars appears to be on its way out of Toronto, or at least could be, as they head into the final year of their respective deals.

What could happen next with Bichette remains a bit in question. In the case of Guerrero, though, he seems destined for free agency and would almost surely be heading somewhere other than the Blue Jays. So it then makes sense why ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported from the Winter Meetings that Vladdy could potentially be a surprise trade candidate this offseason.

In all honesty, it would be best for the Blue Jays to make such a trade, especially now as opposed to waiting until the deadline. We've seen for the past few years that this isn't a winning team in Toronto as currently constructed. So after whiffing on Soto, it seems high time to start rebuilding. And trading Guerrero would jumpstart that massively.

So which teams could make such an offer that the Blue Jays would have no choice but to say yes to? These four clubs seem like ideal fits to make that happen and be great trade partners for Toronto in their specific situation.

4. San Francisco Giants

For the past several years, it's felt like the San Francisco Giants have been begging top players to take their money. In some cases, they've been able to hit. Whether that was with Matt Chapman a year ago or most recently with inking Willy Adames to a free agent deal, the brass in the Bay Area, even with a regime change to franchise legend Buster Posey, has been aggressive, even if they haven't always come away with their guy.

While I think highly of both Chapman and Adames, though, the simple truth of the matter is that the Giants are still looking for the unquestioned star when it comes to position players. The high-level players they've added in that pair are better served as 1B or 2A type of options in the lineup. They don't have the same gravitas as someone like Guerrero would.

This just feels like the type of needed aggressive swing that the Giants would be more than happy to take given how they've operated in free agency. What's interesting, however, is that the Giants have a bottom-five farm system in baseball right now according to most rankings. At the same time, that could absolutely benefit the Blue Jays. That could make San Francisco more desperate to get a deal for Vladdy done, thus increasing what they would be willing to offer from the top of the organization.

Toronto would have to weigh their best offers and, in terms of what could be offered, the Giants might not match up. But even mild desperation can lead to some bold decisions, so the Blue Jays would then have to consider what teams would be willing to give up. In that light, San Francisco might have to be highly considered.

3. New York Mets

The New York Mets already landed the biggest free-agent fish in the pond this offseason, inking Juan Soto to the absurd 15-year, $765 million contract that could be worth even more than that. Steve Cohen finally pulled out and flexed the checkbook in the biggest way possible — but what if David Stearns and Cohen were to follow that up with another monster blockbuster?

Even considering the possibility of an immediate core lineup of Soto, Guerrero and Francisco Lindor is enough to send a trickle down the leg of any opposing pitcher. What's more, with the possibility of Pete Alonso leaving Queens in free agency this offseason as well, the Mets would have a better and younger replacement coming in with Vladdy to fill that void.

What makes this even more realistic beyond Cohen's ability to give Guerrero a lucrative extension if they were to pull off this trade is that the Mets are also among the better farm systems in baseball right now. They would have the opportunity to entice the Blue Jays with the likes of Luisangel Acuña and more to help Toronto build up their future in a much better spot while also setting up their own future.

Given that Vladdy and Soto would be a pair of 26-year-old bonafide superstars paired together for New York, it's at least something that the Mets brass would have to take seriously. It would mean a pair of cornerstone players ready to ride it out together for the long-term and keep New York as a perennial World Series favorite.

2. Chicago Cubs

For so much of the 2024 season, it felt like you couldn't talk about the Chicago Cubs without mentioning the club's connection to now-free agent Pete Alonso. The Cubs have seemingly been looking for an answer at first base along with some added juice to the lineup. Guerrero would obviously offer both of those things but with youth and overall hitting more on his side than with the Polar Bear.

Of course, playing in the American League, we don't know what Guerrero would really look like playing in Wrigley Field. He has only three career games in the friendly confines, going 1-for-12 with two walks. That's not impressive but it's also far too small of a sample size to actually read anything into.

The Cubs, of course, are in a weird position right now when it comes to the direction Jed Hoyer is taking them. Reports of Chicago wanting to cut salary and potentially trade Cody Bellinger and/or Seiya Suzuki have only gained steam with time, so making an aggressive trade might not totally fit.

Guerrero is the outlier in that conversation, though. Much like with Soto in free agency this offseason, the chance to acquire a player who will be just turning 26 years old right before Opening Day isn't just a win-now move but also a win long-term move with a cornerstone piece as well. He's the type of piece that the Cubs, who have an intriguing farm system that the Blue Jays could eye, could and should change their plans for.

1. Boston Red Sox

Outside of being division rivals with the Blue Jays, no team matches up better with Toronto than the Boston Red Sox. You know what would quickly start to turn the vibes around at Fenway Park after an early string of high-profile whiffs in free agency? Pulling off a deal for Guerrero to man the opposite corner from Rafael Devers.

Vladdy would obviously address Boston's need for an elite right-handed bat but Guerrero is also the perfect fit for Fenway Park, as evidenced by the career he's already put together there. In 46 games, the star has a ridiculous .356/.432/.622 slash line with 10 home runs, 18 doubles and 44 RBI. He's been a monster at the historic ballpark — now imagine him playing 81 games a season there as well.

Moreover, a trade for Guerrero would add more flexibility to the Red Sox, potentially being more inclined to flip Triston Casas for more high-end rotation help. While trading Casas isn't something I would do in most situations, that changes with Vladdy in Boston. And it also increases the type of big swing that Breslow could take when it comes to the rest of the trade market.

For Toronto, it would also make sense, even if it is trading with a rival. The Red Sox have a treasure trove of prospects and young, proven players already in the majors — most notably Wilyer Abreu — who could suffice the Blue Jays need to start rebuilding a younger, cheaper core. And if Boston could also ensure that Guerrero would then sign an extension, that could increase the trade ask for Toronto and set them up even better moving forward.