"It's business": Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rejects 'very, very aggressive' Blue Jays contract extension

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Feb 18, 2025, 22:18 IST

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The Toronto Blue Jays concluded contract extension talks with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who decided to enter free agency. Guerrero expressed his desire to stay but emphasized it as a business decision. General Manager Ross Atkins stated the offers were aggressive and record-setting. Speculation suggests Guerrero's future deal could reach up to $550 million.

"It's business": Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rejects 'very, very aggressive' Blue Jays contract extension

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rejects 'very, very aggressive' Blue Jays contract extension (Image Source: Vladimir/IG)

The Toronto Blue Jays have finally decided to bid farewell to their star player Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Blue Jays have concluded their contract extension negotiations, sending Guerrero Jr. to free agency in November. Guerrero Jr. recently opened up about his reaction to not signing a contract extension, calling his decision a “business” move.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s take on rejecting contract extension with Blue Jays

On Tuesday, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. revealed that his negotiations for a contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays have officially concluded. Guerrero Jr. has decided to say "no" to the final offer made by the Blue Jays. According to ESPN, general manager Ross Atkins labeled the team's offer as "very, very aggressive." Sharing his take, Atkins said:
"I am confident that we exhausted the communication, the ideas, the thoughts and communicated every dollar. The offers that we made for Vlad would've been record-setting and would've made him one of the highest-paid players in the game."

As for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. he "wants to be" with the Blue for "the rest of" his career in the league. However, it won't come at the cost of settling for an undervalued contract. Sharing his reaction to rejecting the contract extension offer from the Blue Jays, Guerrero Jr. said:
"Listen, I want to be here. I want to be a Blue Jay for the rest of my career. But it's free agency. It's business. So I'm going to have to listen to 29 more teams and they're going to have to compete for that."
MLB insider Hector Gomez previously revealed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could possibly sign an extension with the Toronto Blue Jays worth $550 Million. Sharing his take via an X post last month, Gomez wrote (translated from Spanish to English):
“The signing of Anthony Santander with Toronto today guaranteed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that the team wants to win and do not be surprised that before Spring Training begins he is signing a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays of over 450 million to 550 million,"
The Blue Jays fans would definitely be upset with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s decision, who previously shared his desperation for wanting him back with the team.

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TOI Sports Desk

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