MLB Odds: Early reports link Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Red Sox
Sorry Blue Jays fans, but star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has said he will test free agency next year after he and the Blue Jays failed to reach a contract extension by his self imposed deadline of the start of training camp.
The goods news is Guerrero has said he wants to be a Blue Jay for life. The bad news is he said Toronto will now have to compete to sign him like every other team to make that happen. And we all saw how the Jays have struck out swinging in free agency in recent years for stars like Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and more.
So, where could Vladdy end up next year? Let’s take a look.
How we got here
Guerrero has made it very clear during the off-season that he will not negotiate a contract extension after he arrived for spring training, a deadline that has, unfortunately, passed. And from everything Guerrero, GM Ross Atkins and president Mark Shapiro have said, the two sides weren’t even close to a deal.
The Blue Jays can only blame themselves for the mess they made of the Guerrero contract. They had a chance to lock him up years ago, but couldn’t decide if they wanted to commit long term or not. Now they’ve walked him to free agency and with the money given to free agents like Ohtani and Soto, you can be sure Guerrero is ready to cash in big.
Guerrero is coming off one of his best seasons in 2024, hitting a career-high .323 with a .524 slugging percentage. In 159 games last season, the 25-year-old had 30 home runs and 103 RBI while posting a .940 OPS. It was Guerrero’s best season since 2021 when he hit 48 bombs and finished second to Shohei Ohtani in MVP voting.
Early favourites
Early reports from baseball insiders say the Boston Red Sox are the very early front-runners to land Guerrero in free agency, followed by the New York Mets and the New York Yankees.
It would be crushing for Jays fans to see Guerrero wear another team’s jersey and stay within the division, but it’s been widely reported that Guerrero has told friends he would love to sign with the Red Sox if he hits free agency and Boston would easily be able to afford him. It’s a stretch to call Guerrero Big Papi 2.0, but it’s in the same ballpark.
The Mets and owner Steve Cohen have spent wildly in free agency in recent years, so it makes sense to link them to Guerrero. They were reportedly interested in trading for Guerrero and the belief is they only signed Alonso when it became clear they wouldn’t be able to trade for Guerrero. Adding Guerrero in free agency without giving up picks and prospects could be worth waiting an extra year.
Despite the Yankees seemingly being in on every major free agent since the dawn of time, it’s a little surreal to think they could land Guerrero after he publicly stated he would never play for them because of some sort of grudge between the team and his Hall of Fame father. Vladdy walked that back last year and said he would play for any team, so welcome the Bronx Bombers to the chase for Guerrero.
