Sure sounds like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has had it with Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been the face of the Toronto Blue Jays’ franchise since arriving in the Majors in 2019. Both Vladdy and shortstop Bo Bichette have been responsible for the majority of the team's limited success in recent years. But now, their time in Canada may be drawing to a close as both are set to enter free agency next season.

With the team’s top two producers set to leave, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins faces a difficult decision. Of his top two stars, Vladdy has the higher ceiling, and when he is at his best he has the ability to carry the team. The four-time All-Star came in second to Shohei Ohtani in 2021 AL MVP voting after posting a .311 batting average with 48 home runs. This past season, he slashed .323/.396/.544/.940 with 30 home runs. As his team's top bat and one of the best in the league, Atkins has already made an attempt to extend Vladdy with a $340 million offer. However, after Juan Soto’s record-breaking deal, an extension is easier said than done, and it's beginning to look like Atkins isn't cut out for these negotiations.

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

Atkins and Vladdy are not close to reaching an agreement

In an interview with Abriendo Sports, Guerrero offered some rare insight into contract talks. He very much left the door open to signing a long-term deal with Toronto, but he also had this to say (translated from Spanish to English by Hector Gomez):

"What they offered me is not even close to what I'm looking for."

In the interview, Vladdy offered a willingness to agree to an extension for the right price, however, it appears he is growing impatient with Atkins. Vladdy set an extension deadline of the first full day of Spring Trainingm which is scheduled to take place on February 22, 2025, after which he will no longer listen to offers. The $340 million previously offered to Guerrero was less than half of the $765 million Soto fetched on the market. The Blue Jays, who were in on Soto, showed a willingness to match any offer for the coveted on-base king. Now, after missing out on Soto, it seems the Blue Jays' initial offer to their hometown slugger may have been counterproductive, which could explain the tight deadline.

This isn’t the first time Vladdy and the Jays have locked horns. After the 2023 season, Guerrero entered into an arbitration dispute with the Blue Jays and eventually won a payday of $19.9 million, $1.85 million higher than the Blue Jays were willing to offer. Given the prior disagreements, the fact that the reported extension offer came out to less than half of what Soto netted, and the extension deadline, it would appear there is some bad blood between Vladdy and the Blue Jays. But we’ll see how it plays out by February 22.