Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rumor brings Blue Jays worst nightmare to forefront

Ross Atkins and the Toronto Blue Jays have spent the better part of the last two offseasons essentially begging any top free agent to take their money. They've been active, they've been aggressive, but more important and frustrating than that is that it's also been fruitless.

Whether we're talking about Juan Soto this offseason, Shohei Ohtani last offseason or even just a number of other non-generational talents, the Blue Jays have largely struck out. In tandem with that has been the uncertain futures of two homegrown stars, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. Entering their final year of club control in Toronto, neither player has an extension in place and both seem likely to hit free agency.

And if you're wondering in the case of Guerrero, clearly the bigger star of the two soon-to-be free agents, if he could potentially return to the Blue Jays in 2026, that is starting to look even less likely.

According to former MLB player Carlos Baerga (who broke the Marcus Semien-to-Texas news a few years ago in the Blue Jays world), the Blue Jays offered Vladdy a lucrative contract extension reportedly worth more than $340 million. Guerrero turned the deal down, as Mike Rodriguez noted:

That sets up a doomsday scenario for the Blue Jays when it comes to Vladdy, one that could only get more nightmarish.

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. turning down Blue Jays $340M offer is Toronto's nightmare

If Guerrero abandons Toronto, Atkins and the organization are simply going to be left holding the bag with nothing to show for it. The roster, even with Vladdy and Bichette, has been on the outside of the playoff mix over the past few years. Subtract those stars, Guerrero specifically, and they seem even further away from that conversation. And there would seemingly be little immediate hope for replacing them.

More nightmarish than that, however, is what Guerrero leaving the Blue Jays could then mean for the young superstar first baseman. While there would be no shortage of suitors for a player with his talent, production and pedigree, the truth of the matter is that the likeliest landing spot right now might be the rival Boston Red Sox.

Yes, Vladdy did like an Instagram post featuring him photoshopped into a Red Sox jersey. But that goes beyond that. As of right now, it seems like the Mets, always willing to spend top-dollar, could lock themselves into a Pete Alonso reunion. The Phillies and Dodgers have first base already set with stars in Bryce Harper and Freddie Freeman, respectively. The Yankees may be interested, but Guerrero has always expressed distaste for that rival organization. 

So among the upper big spenders, the Red Sox would make the most sense, especially if their apparent aggressiveness this winter extends into next offseason. That would only make the situation that much worse for the Blue Jays. They wouldn't just be losing a franchise pillar but would also have to see him in the AL East for years to come.

More pressingly, though, it's impossible to say where the Blue Jays would go from there or what the future would look like. If they can't woo free agents right now with Vladdy and Bichette, what would that look like without even one of them? My guess: Something that fans in Toronto wouldn't want to see.