Since his Major League debut in 2019, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been the face of the Toronto Blue Jays, with both him and shortstop Bo Bichette driving most of the team’s limited success in recent years. However, with both players set to become free agents next season, their time in Toronto could be coming to an end. This puts Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins in a tough spot. Among the two stars, Vladdy stands out with the higher potential, and when he’s at his peak, he has the ability to lead the team. The four-time All-Star finished second in AL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani in 2021 after hitting .311 with 48 home runs. This past season, he posted a .323/.396/.544/.940 slash line with 30 home runs. As the team’s top hitter and one of the league’s best, Atkins has already extended a $340 million offer to try and extend Vladdy’s contract. However, following Juan Soto’s record-setting deal, negotiating an extension has become more complicated, and it’s starting to look like Atkins may struggle in these talks.

In an interview with Abriendo Sports, Guerrero shared some rare details about the contract discussions. He expressed openness to signing a long-term deal with the Blue Jays, but also made it clear that the team’s offer was far below his expectations, saying, “What they offered me is not even close to what I’m looking for.” He added that he would be willing to entertain an extension if the terms are right, but he set a firm deadline for the first full day of Spring Training, February 22, 2025. After that date, he will no longer consider any offers. The Blue Jays’ $340 million offer is significantly less than the $765 million Juan Soto received, and after Toronto showed interest in matching any offer for Soto, it now seems their initial offer to Guerrero may have been a misstep, possibly leading to the tight deadline.

This isn’t the first instance of tension between Guerrero and the Blue Jays. After the 2023 season, Guerrero won an arbitration case against the team, securing a $19.9 million salary, which was $1.85 million higher than the Blue Jays’ original offer. Given this history of disputes, the relatively low extension offer, and the hard deadline, there appears to be some friction between Vladdy and the organization. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold by February 22.