All winter, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was adamant that the start of spring training would be the deadline after which he'd halt extention talks with the Toronto Blue Jays. He cared too much about the upcoming season, he argued, and he didn't want to become a distraction to his teammates as they focused on trying to get Toronto back to the playoffs in 2025.
Sure enough, Vladdy and the Jays failed to reach an agreement on a long-term contract, causing all of Canada to think the sky is falling. But rather than shut down speculation and focus on the season at hand — you know, like he said he would — the first baseman has ... well, done pretty much the exact opposite of that.
It seems like every day brings a fresh rumor to Jays camp. Toronto didn't come anywhere near Guerrero Jr.'s asking price; actually, they're only some $50 million apart. The Boston Red Sox are as good as guaranteed to sign him next winter; actually, have you considered the New York Yankees?
All along, the Blue Jays have tried to keep an even keel. But when president Mark Shapiro dared express some optimism about getting an extension done at some point over the next weeks or months, Guerrero Jr. couldn't help but correct the record. He doesn't want to be a distraction, of course.
"Not going to shut the door on them... I'll be open. But I'm going to leave that to my agents to work with that. If there's something there, they're going to continue to work with that. I'm just going to be on the field, focusing on my teammates, on my team, on my game" (2/2)
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) March 20, 2025
"Not going to shut the door on them ... I'll be open," Guerrero Jr. said this week. But I'm going to leave that to my agents to work with that ... I'm just going ot be on the field, focusing on my teammates, on my team, on my game."
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. can't stop putting his foot in his mouth during Blue Jays standoff
So first it was not wanting to let his contract situation become a distraction during spring training, but now he'll be open to it? So what was that deadline for then, exactly? And if he really wants everyone to believe that his sole focus is helping the Jays win this season, where are all these rumors coming from?
None of which is to say that Guerrero Jr. has already made his mind up, or will mail in the upcoming season as he looks elsewhere. But it's clear that he's actually enjoying this process much more than he'd like to let on, and he doesn't feel too badly about keeping his name in the news and trying to build a market for himself. All of which is his right, and as long as he keeps on hitting, he doesn't owe the Jays anything.
But you can't have it both ways. If you're going to insist that you're doing right by your teammates and not worried about the noise, you need to make sure things stay quiet.