The Toronto Blue Jays faced tons of questions regarding superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. when the season began. With no contract in place on Opening Day, all signs pointed to Guerrero testing the one market.
But the Blue Jays were able to sign Guerrero to a 14-year deal worth $500 million with no deferrals, essentially keeping him in Canada for the remainder of his MLB career.
It was a monster move for Toronto, and it could be a sign of things to come, as one insider stated.
Hidden Impact of Blue Jays’ $500 Million Deal With Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Committing to somebody for 14 years and shelling out $500 million is not easy, but that’s exactly what the Blue Jays did.
In fact, Sportsnet insider Shi Davidi revealed the hidden impact of this deal for the Blue Jays.
“It’s a decision about what kind of franchise are you going to be,” Davidi said. “This contract to me really signifies the Blue Jays saying, ‘We’re gonna be a financial behemoth.’ Now they have this idea, which is a clear announcement to the rest of baseball.”
“This is the most important contract in team history because of what it signifies,” Davidi said. “You don’t do this deal if you’re not going to support it. … It’s really on the front office now to make sure they leverage this contract, they take advantage of it.”
“You’ve announced to the baseball world, ‘We intend to be a financial behemoth.’ And here we are. And players are going to notice that, not that they didn’t before, but it’s real now. It’s not theoretical anymore.”
“It's the most important contract in team history because of what it signifies… You’ve announced to the baseball world, ‘We intend to be a financial behemoth.’ Players are going to notice that.”@ShiDavidi discusses the future of the #BlueJays’ spending with @SNJeffBlair. pic.twitter.com/H9PNKSVFAe
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) April 14, 2025
The Blue Jays missed on some big free agents, most notably the pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, so spending half a billion dollars to keep Guerrero was a massive move for the franchise.
And, as Davidi said a couple of times, the Blue Jays are making themselves known as a “financial behemoth,” which could be attractive to future free agents looking to join the ballclub.
The contract for Guerrero has drawn mixed reviews, with some wondering how it will age down the line and others applauding them for committing that cash to Guerrero for the next decade-plus with no deferred money.
For the Blue Jays, this is a statement to the rest of the league and upcoming free agents, and the hope is that some big names can make their way to Toronto with a World Series run on the mind of the fans and those in the franchise.