Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dropped 3 words that Blue Jays fans will never forget

Ross Atkins and the Toronto Blue Jays finally landed the plane.

After years of ambitious free agency pursuits and bitter disappointment, Toronto came through with a blockbuster signing. This one kept their best player in-house.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. inked a 14-year, $500 million extension on Monday. It includes a historic $325 million signing bonus.

The Blue Jays were widely expected to lose Guerrero to free agency next winter after failing to secure an extension prior to the start of spring training, but both sides circled back and hammered out the details. Guerrero, who was born in Canada and whose father once represented the country with the Montreal Expos, never wanted to leave. Now he's virtually guaranteed to finish his career in a Blue Jays uniform.

This is cause for celebration in Toronto. It has been a challenging few years for Jays fans, with Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Roki Sasaki among the high-profile free agents to leave Toronto hanging. These countless close calls only fueled speculation that Guerrero would leave for a glitzier market. In the end, however, his strong bond with the city and the organization prevailed.

So, we can stop speculating every other day about what Guerrero might look like in a Yankees or Red Sox uniform. Toronto fans are relieved, and Guerrero knows exactly what they want to hear after the big news.

"I'm not leaving."

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. affirms his commitment to Blue Jays with three-word statement

Cue to Leo DiCaprio memes. He's not f-ing leaving.

This is a watershed moment for the Blue Jays' organization. There was a much darker road this could have gone down. With the current state of the roster, losing Guerrero next winter — and probably Bo Bichette, too — might've left Toronto toiling in mediocrity for years, without any semblance of direction.

Atkins still needs to come through and deliver a contender. Toronto can't rest on its laurels after re-upping Guerrero, because this roster needs a lot of work elsewhere. But, assuming the Blue Jays continue to wield an aggressive checkbook in free agency and on the trade front, the follow-up moves will come eventually.

Toronto occupies quite possibility the most challenging division in baseball. New York, Boston, and Baltimore are all built to contend for years to come. Even the Rays are sneaky good this season. Toronto, currently in first place at 7-5, needs to keep the pressure on — to keep operating with a sense of urgency. This Guerrero extension needs to be a launching point for future growth. More free agents should take an interest in the Jays with Guerrero locked up for the next decade and change.

Now, we wait to see if the Blue Jays can reach a similar resolution with Bichette. There have been mixed signals about Bichette's desire to remain in Toronto, but enough money can get just about anyone to sign anywhere. Bichette will put whatever geographic or clubhouse inhibitions he may have aside if the Blue Jays drop a bag.