On the clock: Super Bowl lull could come to haunt Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The Toronto Blue Jays find themselves in quite a predicament when it comes to extending star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Miami Marlins v Toronto Blue Jays
Miami Marlins v Toronto Blue Jays / Cole Burston/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

One of the league's top sluggers, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is entering the final year of his current contract and, despite ongoing negotiations, hasn't been able to strike a long-term deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. To make matters worse, Guerrero Jr. and his representation have placed a deadline on negotiations, which is simple — the beginning of camp. Pitchers and catchers will report on Feb. 13 to Dunedin, Florida, with full team activities set to commence on Feb. 18.

Like most of the Blue Jays, the star first baseman started slowly last season but yet again proved his worth over the second half of the year. Guerrero Jr. arguably the league's top right-handed hitting first baseman, finished with 30 home runs, 103 RBIs backed by a stellar .323 batting average.

Guerrero Jr. finished the year with a .940 OPS and a WAR (wins above replacement) of 6.2. There are a few additional metrics that need to be highlighted. Last season, Vladdy posted career bests in multiple categories, including that .323 batting average plus a strikeout rate of 13.8 percent, 199 hits, 44 doubles and 12 intentional walks.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason

Will a Super Bowl lull cost Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins a few valuable days?

Many reports indicate that the superstar first baseman is confidently pursuing a contract significantly higher than the 10-year, $340 million deal the team has previously proposed this offseason.

Atkins was on a conference call to speak about the recently signed future Hall of Famer, Max Scherzer; he was pressed about the ongoing negotiations with Vladdy. “Today is about Max, and today is about the team that’s in place, and Vlad is certainly a huge part of that,”  Atkins said when explicitly asked about the looming deadline. “You all know our desire to have him here for a long time, and we’ll continue to work towards that.”

The Toronto Blue Jays have had a busy offseason, but without extending their franchise first baseman to what should be a 10-year deal north of $400 million, it will feel all for not.

Earlier this winter, Atkins traded what appeared to be a rising star in Spencer Horwitz for Gold Glove second baseman Andres Gimenez in a three-team deal. Depending on what happens with starting shortstop Bo Bichette, who seems set on testing free agency following the 2025 season, Gimenez, 26, might be Toronto's answer as his long-term replacement at short.

Toronto also added slugging designated hitter Anthony Santander, who should provide Guerrero Jr. with some much-needed middle-of-the-lineup protection. The Blue Jays also brought in Max Scherzer to solidify their starting rotation. That said, the offseason storyline will continue to be what it could have been when it comes to Toronto.

The Blue Jays are an organization historically willing to spend. They were linked to many prized free agents this past winter, such as Corbin Burns, Juan Soto, Roki Sasaki, Hyeseong Kim, and Pete Alonzo, and missed out on all five. Toronto is also linked to third baseman Alex Bregman, who is expected to make a decision next week. But Atkins recently poured a bit of cold water on the Bregman rumors. “We’ll never stop (trying to add) on that front,” Atkins said. “I think at this point, it would require a trade for us to add to the team. Most likely, that would be the case.”

manual