The Toronto Blue Jays are in one of the weirdest spots in the league. They have some talent, but their best player, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and their shortstop, Bo Bichette, are both on the last year of their contracts and they could bolt for free agency after this season.
Between the two, Guerrero is the much more concerning one to let hit free agency. Everybody in Toronto understands that if he gets to unrestricted free agency, teams like the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees will likely be willing to offer contracts worth north of $500 million to steal him from Toronto.
The Blue Jays have been very aggressive in trying to re-sign the superstar. They've reportedly continued to negotiate on a new contract for the last few months, though nothing came to fruition before the season began.
This doesn't mean general manager Ross Atikins isn't desperately trying to ink his superstar to a new deal. In fact, Atkins might be among the most desperate people in the league right now because his franchise could fall apart if Guerrero bolts for nothing.
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Ross Atkins isn't the only one desperate to re-sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Though Atkins is going to be desperate to get a new deal done with his team's best player, he's not the only one.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently reported that more than just Atkins are desperate to re-sign Guerrero this season.
"The Toronto Blue Jays continue to inch closer to signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a contract extension, likely a 14- or 15-year deal worth about $500 million, which will be crucial for Blue Jays CEO Mark Shapiro’s popularity in Toronto," Nightengale wrote. "The Blue Jays’ last postseason victory was in 2016, and this is the final year of Shapiro’s contract."
Shapiro, though he hasn't seen much postseason success in the last decade, could gain the support of fans by helping ink Guerrero to a massive 14- or 15-year contract. A deal like this is the kind of thing that can save an executive's job, especially if the front office can find a way to sign him before he lands in free agency.