The Toronto Blue Jays were never going to match Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s price tag in time for his spring training deadline. While Guerrero Jr. was quoted telling ESPN his asking price was far less than Juan Soto's – Guerrero Jr. also doesn't offer the same upside or complete approach as Soto. $600 million for a player who projects as solely a first baseman or DH down the road is a lot of money for the Blue Jays, especially considering Ross Atkins would also have to build around him.
Good luck with all that. While Guerrero Jr. will assuredly try out the free-agent market, he may have a tougher time finding a team willing to meet that asking price than he thinks, barring an AL MVP campaign (which is well within striking distance for Vladdy).
Guerrero Jr. has every right to bet on himself, and there is little doubt the Blue Jays will be involved and perhaps make another offer when he reaches free agency. However, some in the Toronto media haven't taken kindly to how Guerrero Jr. has handled himself throughout this process.
"Guerrero was seeking well over $500 million, which seems excessive for a guy who has only lived up to expectations in two of six big-league seasons. There’s no denying the talent, but there are questions about consistency with a lifetime on-base plus slugging percentage of .863," Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star wrote in a column.
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The Toronto media didn't help the Blue Jays chances with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Chisholm defended himself and The Star by admitting they'd written plenty of pieces advocating for the Blue Jays to keep Guerrero Jr. He also warned that the upcoming season could become a circus, and the Jays have no one to blame but their front office for that.
"Every road trip risked becoming a sideshow with local reporters flocking to the Jays star. It would only be a matter of time before he said the wrong thing to the wrong person and it blew up," Chisholm wrote. "Well, it’s not even opening day and those wheels are already in motion."
Media can play a role in how a player or team is perceived, of course. While The Star is not being negative just towards Guerrero Jr. in this case, it is not helping the Blue Jays chance at re-signing their best player – which is by no means the job of a newspaper's editorial board. For his part, Guerrero Jr. has done all he can to not become a distraction, but his comments to ESPN earlier this week suggest otherwise. Chisholm's piece, which might not be received well by the Jays or Guerrero Jr., summed it up best:
"So, Guerrero can say all he wants about not wanting to become a distraction. There are 500-million-plus reasons why it can’t be avoided."
Amen.