How much is Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr asking for?
Photo credit: https://twitter.com/ListinDiario
How much is Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr asking for? And what number did Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins offer the All-Star?
The bottom line with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays is all about money.
Don't kid yourself Guerrero loves Toronto and their fans, however if he's going to stay a Blue Jay he wants top dollar for it. That's the world we live in.
We can blame Guerrero for being greedy or we can blame Mark Shapiro, Ross Atkins and Edward Rogers for being cheap, I mean we need somebody to blame right?
The absolute truth in this dilemma is this. Until the true numbers come out we cant really point the finger at anyone.
If Atkins and company aren't willing to go that high is it really the Blue Jays fault?
Until there is a real number on the deal leaked by either Guerrero or Ross Atkins nobody will really know who is cheap or who is greedy.
People often ask how super agent Scott Boras gets big dollar deals done so quickly, it's because he leaks numbers to the media forcing a teams hand into upping the ante. That's why he is so sought after by young super stars.
MLB.com's Keegan Matheson went on TSN's Overdrive and shed a little light on what I'm talking about here.
In the day and age of star players getting paid why hasn't Vladimir Guerrero Jr and the Blue Jays got a deal done yet?
"The biggest factor is that we don't know the numbers. The closest we got to knowing what the numbers was Ross Atkins saying that this would've been a record breaking contract.
And when pressed further by Matheson Atkins said a Blue Jays record, which is George Springers contract which is $150 Million. Matheson responded with "I would hope so."
And when pressed further by Matheson Atkins said a Blue Jays record, which is George Springers contract which is $150 Million. Matheson responded with "I would hope so."
When Matheson was asked whether or not he thought if the numbers would get leaked he had this to say.
"I think they will and the first time I hear it I wont believe it. When you hear it the first time I'd be awfully hesitant, It's something I'd want to hear in detail from both sides, and the numbers are the biggest part of this, because it's possible the Blue Jays were really lowballing, and it's possible that Guerrero was asking for a billion.
We don't know that right now, but it is clear that star player contracts have taken off. It doesn't matter that Vlad Jr isn't Ohtani or Soto because he isn't, but contracts are moving in one clear direction and it's happening pretty suddenly.
And that's turned all of this into a moving target that the Blue Jays have had to chase a little bit, and like Guerrero said they weren't even close.
The word close got beat up and twisted today I don't even know what it means anymore."
We don't know that right now, but it is clear that star player contracts have taken off. It doesn't matter that Vlad Jr isn't Ohtani or Soto because he isn't, but contracts are moving in one clear direction and it's happening pretty suddenly.
And that's turned all of this into a moving target that the Blue Jays have had to chase a little bit, and like Guerrero said they weren't even close.
The word close got beat up and twisted today I don't even know what it means anymore."
As for Guerrero, he matter-of-factly, said «No,» the sides never got close to an agreement.
Asked if he agreed, Atkins riffed on the definition of close, describing it as «too big of a word to talk specifically about» while being «confident that we exhausted the communication, the ideas, the thoughts and communicated every dollar.»
Shapiro, meanwhile, bluntly asserted that «there's no such thing as close or not close - it's done or not done.»
Shapiro, meanwhile, bluntly asserted that «there's no such thing as close or not close - it's done or not done.»
But when even the definition of close is contentious and the sides can't agree on how wide the gap is between them, well how were they going to align on a deal that would not only have been the richest in team history, but also among baseball's biggest ever?
«All along, I had hope to sign a deal here,» said Guerrero through an interpreter.
«But especially at the end, I didn't see the front office moving to my number. They tried. This is business. But it wasn't the number I was looking for. Yes, I was hoping for it, but unfortunately, it didn't happen.»
«But especially at the end, I didn't see the front office moving to my number. They tried. This is business. But it wasn't the number I was looking for. Yes, I was hoping for it, but unfortunately, it didn't happen.»
In so many ways, Guerrero is the linchpin of it all.
«Obviously, as his friend, his teammate, I was hoping that whatever was best for him worked out. Obviously, they didn't come to agreement, but for our team, it stays the same.
We're just trying to win,» said Bo Bichette, who added that in his own situation, «nothing changes for me right now.
Like I've said before, I'm concentrating on being the best player that I can be this year, helping the team win as much as I can. We'll get to that when we get to that.»
We're just trying to win,» said Bo Bichette, who added that in his own situation, «nothing changes for me right now.
Like I've said before, I'm concentrating on being the best player that I can be this year, helping the team win as much as I can. We'll get to that when we get to that.»
«Certainly feel as though we have good players that are coming,» said Atkins. «Vlad is special and we'll remain motivated to keep him here. (That) is how we're focused on it now.»
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