Amid the early reports about what Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could do next offseason after his contract with the Toronto Blue Jays expires and he hits the open market, many have pegged the Boston Red Sox as the favorite to land his services. That's not surprising considering that rumblings of Vladdy wanting to play at Fenway have been around for years now. However, these early reports also came with a much more surprising favorite being connected to Guerrero: the New York Yankees..
Jon Heyman of the New York Post ($), most notably, included the Yankees alongside the Red Sox and crosstown Mets as the three biggest favorites. What makes the Bronx Bombers such a fascinating inclusion, though, is that Guerrero has flat-out said previously that he wouldn't play for New York because of how they treated his father during Guerrero Sr.'s playing career.
However, Vladdy spoke to Heyman as part of the report and the 25-year-old said that all 30 teams would have a chance to sign him before the 2026 season. He specifically also noted that the Yankees could make their pitch as well, saying the bad blood is now in the past.
If you're a Red Sox fan, on the surface, that's not at all what you want to hear. However, there's also an extremely obvious way to explain why Guerrero would so starkly change his mind about the Yankees.
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Red Sox can laugh off Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Yankees comments for obvious reason
The most obvious answer is that Vladdy hasn't actually gotten past his disdain for the Yankees. Now, I know that's what he said and there is some "take it at face value" to the equation. At the same time, baseball is a business — a business in which Guerrero is reportedly seeking a deal worth north of $500 million in total value. You know what's good to get to that price? Competition.
It's not even close to far-fetched to think that Guerrero's agent, knowing that the anti-Yankees comments and buzz were still out there, urged his pending free agent to walk those comments back because it's best for his client. Sure, there are 29 other teams who would love to have the slugger on their roster for the next decade-plus. But only a select few of those clubs have the resources to actually pony up to meet the price tag. The Yankees are one of them, so Vladdy needs them in the mix to be pitted against the rest.
And if you're a Red Sox fan, that has to be music to your ears. Even if there is actual consideration for the Yankees given by Guerrero, the truth of the matter is that New York would be starting from behind the other two favorites. Throw in the Mets' complications with Pete Alonso in this situation, and it's clear why Boston should still feel like they're in the driver's seat of this early race.
We've got essentially a full year until almost any of this can come to fruition. But while the Red Sox and the fan base can feel confident that they are already in the mix for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., there's reason to believe that, even with his recent comments, the Yankees and their fans can't feel quite the same level of certainty.