Blue Jays to Announce 14-Year Mega Deal With Guerrero Jr.

Summary:

• The Toronto Blue Jays have allegedly agreed on a historic 14-year contract extension with slugger Vladimir Guerrrero Jr.
• According to sources, the deal, which will go into effect in 2026 and carry on until 2040, will be inked for $500m.
• Guerrero’s MLB contract has no deferred payments and will rank him eighth in terms of annual average value.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays have struck a massive deal that is expected to shake up the baseball world.

According to a source who shared the details with the Associated Press on Monday, the 26-year-old slugger has agreed to a 14-year deal for $500 million. 

The contract will kick in starting with the 2026 season, making Huerrero Jr.’s lifelong dream of being a Blue Jay for his entire career come true. 

No Deferred Payments

Besides the length and sum that was agreed upon, the contract also sticks out by not including any of the standard deferred payment clauses, which are usually significant details in today’s era of creative financing. 

The agreement also means Guerrero Jr., who would’ve been one of the most high-profile names on next year’s free-agent market, is officially off the board.

Earlier this year, Guerrero avoided arbitration by signing a $28.5 million one-year deal. At the time, the four-time All-Star first baseman said he wouldn’t engage in contract discussions once spring training began. 

Still, behind-the-scenes negotiations with his agent continued quietly into the regular season.

Guerrero Ranks High, Joins Elite Company

The value of the deal puts Guerrero in elite company. In terms of total contract value, only Juan Soto’s $765 million, 15-year deal with the Mets and Shohei Ohtani’s groundbreaking $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers top it. 

Unlike Ohtani’s heavily deferred deal, though, Guerrero’s money is reportedly all upfront.

In terms of annual average value, Guerrero’s $35.71 million per year ranks eighth among current MLB contracts, trailing Ohtani, Soto, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Judge, Jacob deGrom, Blake Snell, and Gerrit Cole.

The Montreal native, who represents the Dominican Republic internationally, is the son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero. 

He’s carved out a strong career of his own, with a lifetime .277 average, 160 home runs, and 511 RBIs. So far this season, he’s hitting .256 with four RBIs in 10 games while still looking to hit his first homer.

His best year was 2021 when he ranked second in the AL MVP race after hitting .311 with 48 homers and 111 RBIs.

He was also awarded a prestigious Gold Glove award in 2022. After that, his offensive numbers dropped slightly, but he retrieved his top shape in 2024 when he anchored the lineup with a .940 OPS and .544 slugging percentage.

Toronto, still chasing its first World Series title since the back-to-back wins in 1992 and 1993, had previously fallen short in its pursuit of big names like Ohtani, Soto, and Roki Sasaki. Will the Toronto Blue Jays do it – check out the latest baseball odds from our selection of Canadian bookmakers.

Nonetheless, the Canadians have inked a five-year contract with Anthony Santander’s for $92.5 million, signed Max Scherzer for one year at $15.5 million, and secured Jeff Hoffman via a  three-year deal for $33 million.