If he becomes an unrestricted free agent next offseason, expect the New York Mets to be one of many teams looking to sign Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a lucrative and long-term deal.
Although it's certainly no guarantee that he'll become a free agent. The Blue Jays are making an active effort to re-sign the 26-year-old, as was conveyed by a a March 30 report from USA Today's MLB insider Bob Nightengale that wrote, "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."
Bruce Bochy, Brian Snitker focused on 2025, not MLB managerial futures https://t.co/bsl38HUGWa
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 31, 2025
Although Guerrero re-signing with Toronto isn't the only potential outcome this season, as there's a world where the slugger gets traded. However, The Athletic's MLB insider Jim Bowden explained the only scenario where the Blue Jays will consider trading Vladdy before this season's trade deadline in an April 4 article.
In the article, Bowden asserts that Toronto will only shop Guerrero Jr. on the trade market if they're out of contention and haven't re-signed him by the trade deadline.
MLB mailbag: What should Red Sox do? Will Blue Jays extend Vlad Jr.? 116 wins for Dodgers? https://t.co/yzhCNrdJrx pic.twitter.com/kTPyDyuqPr
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) April 4, 2025
While this doesn't necessarily come as a surprise, it's worth noting that Bowden also doesn't think it's likely Guerrero Jr. gets traded this season, even if the Blue Jays struggle. This is because his trade value takes a significant hit given that he has less than one full season of team control, making teams hesitant to send great trade packages to Toronto in return for him; hence why they're more likely to keep Guerrero Jr. and try to re-sign him this offseason if they can't get a deal done during the year.
Regardless, it will be interesting for Mets fans to see how Guerrero Jr.'s impending free agency shakes out over the coming months.
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