Latest Vladimir Guerrero Jr. update gives Blue Jays glimmer of hope for long-term extension

The Toronto Blue Jays have had as disappointing of an offseason as any MLB team. They pursued some of the biggest names on the free agency market, but, for a second straight offseason, missed out on the best players. The best player they've brought in so far is Andres Gimenez, a glove-first infielder when their lineup is in desperate need of some thump.

To make things worse, the Blue Jays have failed to accomplish what should've been the organization's No. 1 goal — extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The face of Toronto's franchise is set to hit free agency at the end of the 2025 campaign. Failing to extend him opens the possibility of him departing for nothing in just a year from now.

Vibes on the extension front have been low lately, but the latest Guerrero update gives fans at least a glimmer of hope that a deal might be coming.

The Blue Jays agreed to a deal with Guerrero to avoid arbitration, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. deal leaves open the possibility that an extension might be coming

In the grand scheme of things, this isn't a huge deal. Guerrero is under club control, so it isn't as if the Jays signed Guerrero while dealing with any competition. With that being said, though, the fact that they were able to agree to a deal with Guerrero is an exciting development.

Last offseason, the Blue Jays failed to agree to a deal with Guerrero by the arbitration deadline, forcing the two sides to go through an arbitration hearing. Chances are, if they were unable to agree to yet another one-year deal, they probably wouldn't have been able to agree to a long-term pact by the time Guerrero says he will put an end to talks.

Guerrero agreeing to a deal with the Jays for the 2025 season doesn't guarantee that an extension is coming. In fact, it's probably still unlikely. Still, the two sides proving they can agree to something means that they can get on the same page in some capacity.

At this point, especially after missing out on the high-end talent in free agency, extending Guerrero is one of the only ways Ross Atkins can salvage this offseason. Hopefully, this deal inches the Jays closer to pulling that off.