Feb. 18 (UPI) — The Toronto Blue Jays failed to agree on a contract extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., before his personal deadline for the deal, clearing the path for potential free agency for the All-Star infielder in 2026.
Guerrero previously set a deadline of 9 p.m. EST Monday for completion of the pact. He said he would not negotiate after he reports to spring training in Dunedin, Fla. Blue Jays pitchers and catchers reported Thursday, while Guerrero and the rest of the full squad reported Tuesday in Dunedin.
“No, we did not get an agreement,” Guerrero told reporters. “They have their numbers; I have my numbers. But you know, it’s just business. Things happen. The front office and my agents met. Both parts tried, but obviously we couldn’t get an agreement.”
Guerrero said he wanted to stay with the Blue Jays for the rest of his career, but will “listen to 29 more teams.”
“I have my number,” Guerrero said. “I changed it a little bit. I tried. But still, it just didn’t happen.”
Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said the franchise and Guerrero’s representatives “couldn’t align on a common number that shared risk.” General manager Ross Atkins said the Blue Jays were “obviously very disappointed,” but remain motivated to sign Guerrero.
“On a personal level, there’s disappointment because I recognize it’s special when you have a player who was signed, developed, came to the big leagues and played his whole career with one team,” Shapiro said.
“I think about players like Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr., Kirby Puckett and what it can mean to be a legacy player, a franchise player. That was, and is, our hope for Vladdy.”
Guerrero, 25, hit a career-high .323 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs over 159 games last season. He hit .264 with 26 homers and 94 RBIs over 156 appearances in 2023. The four-time All-Star, who made his highly anticipated MLB debut in 2019, hit .288 with 160 homers over his first six seasons with the Blue Jays.
Guerrero led MLB with 48 homers, 123 runs scored and 363 total bases over 171 games in 2021, when he hit .311. He finished second in the American League MVP race that season. Guerrero earned $19.9 million in 2024.
Last month. the Blue Jays and Guerrero agreed to $28.5 million salary in 2025, his final year of club control. That salary will be the third-highest ever paid to an arbitration-eligible player.
Guerrero said he was not close on an agreement with the Blue Jays for a long-term pact. The New York Mets gave a 15-year, $765 million pact to outfielder Juan Soto in December. Soto, who made his debut in 2018, is five months older than Guerrero.
The Blue Jays will host the New York Yankees in their preseason opener Saturday in Dunedin. They will host the Baltimore Orioles on March 27 in Toronto.
