The money at the top of the market has been hard to believe as of late. Now, after a months-long negotiation process, we have another mind-boggling contract for one of the game’s biggest stars.
The Toronto Blue Jays and star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have agreed to terms on a 4-year, $500 million contract extension, pending Guerrero Jr.’s ability to pass his physical, according to ESPN.
Unlike the deal the Los Angeles Dodgers got done with two-way star Shohei Ohtani, Guerrero Jr.’s deal includes no deferrals. Unless he is traded, which is unlikely given the massive size of the contract, the deal should keep Guerrero Jr. in Toronto for the remainder of his career.
The 26-year-old previously said that he would not be involved in negotiations during the season after the two sides failed to come to terms on a deal during spring training.
However, talks continued, and the sides were able to get a deal done that is the third-largest in MLB history. The only two larger contracts are Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets and Shohei Ohtani’s aforementioned 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers.
The signing is massive for the Blue Jays, especially after coming up empty in their attempted signing of both Soto and Ohtani.
Gurerro, much like his father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, has rare bat-to-ball skills. Jr. has hit .288/.363/.499 with 160 home runs, 510 RBIs, and 559 strikeouts against 353 walks, per ESPN.
It’ll be interesting to see if this signing makes the Blue Jays a contender in the AL East for the next decade plus to come.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.