Schneider, Gausman and Atkins weigh in on Guerrero extension with 3 days left.
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Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract status still hangs over every conversation we'll have about this organization until there's a resolution.
"If anything happens, it's going to be on Monday's deadline day" MLB.com's Keegan Matheson
It's smart business for Vlad Jr -- deadlines spur action -- and means there should be a resolution soon, one way or the other.
Manager John Schneider knows Guerrero as well as anyone.
He managed Guerrero in High-A Dunedin in 2017, and when the next spring rolled around, Schneider was vocal about sending both Guerrero and Bo Bichette with him to Double-A New Hampshire, an aggressive assignment given their ages. He's been there as Guerrero has grown from a top prospect into his own man.
This isn't just about baseball any more. It's something bigger now, something more real.
«He's gotten better at that and understands that it's a business,» Schneider said. «He understands that he's done really, really good things here.
He's got a huge career ahead of him, too, wherever that may be, and we hope it's here. He's got a good way about him, and I think he's just focused on putting himself in position to have a good year, then let the rest of the stuff take care of itself.»
He's got a huge career ahead of him, too, wherever that may be, and we hope it's here. He's got a good way about him, and I think he's just focused on putting himself in position to have a good year, then let the rest of the stuff take care of itself.»
Juan Soto, selling his age 26 season and beyond, had five large-market suitors involved in multiple rounds of bidding to help get him past three-quarters of a billion dollars.
So, beyond simply trying to figure out what Soto's deal means for the market, the real question is what does the market behaviour that led to Soto mean for Guerrero, who is selling his age 27 season onwards.
«Everything is information and everything needs to be factored in, but it needs to be factored in historically and not reactively,»
Atkins said of the Soto contract's impact. «So, being disciplined to our valuations, being disciplined to how we think about building the best possible roster.
There are so many variables. And of course, new information impacts everything we're doing.»
Atkins said of the Soto contract's impact. «So, being disciplined to our valuations, being disciplined to how we think about building the best possible roster.
There are so many variables. And of course, new information impacts everything we're doing.»
Even if he's signed, plenty more work is needed to keep the window open, as fellow cornerstone Bo Bichette is also eligible for free agency in the fall, along with Chris Bassitt, Scherzer and Chad Green, followed by Gausman, George Springer, Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk after 2026.
If Guerrero is bound for free agency, the entire roster could unravel.
«Can't try to think about it too much, to be honest,» Gausman said of the potential uncertainty without a Guerrero extension.
«We're trying to win this year. If we can do what we're all trying to do, all that will figure itself out. But listen, we're at a point where if we don't do what we're capable of doing, he's probably not going to be the only guy that's not going to be here.
It's just the reality of the business. So can't really think about it too much because he's a Blue Jay right now.»
«We're trying to win this year. If we can do what we're all trying to do, all that will figure itself out. But listen, we're at a point where if we don't do what we're capable of doing, he's probably not going to be the only guy that's not going to be here.
It's just the reality of the business. So can't really think about it too much because he's a Blue Jay right now.»
The numbers need to make sense, both for the Blue Jays and for Guerrero.
Rarely, if ever, does something matter more than the money in these types of negotiations.
Players like Guerrero are hard to find, though. The 25-year-old is not just one of the best hitters on the planet, he's wrapped his arms around the city of Toronto and its fans, fully embracing what it means to be the face of a franchise.
Let that go, and you might spend the next five years looking for it again. What else could the Blue Jays want in a player?
«The things we're looking for - he has them,» Atkins said of the attributes typical of mega-contract players.
«It's the teammate, how he complements us moving forward, the process, how he gets to that performance. The performance just doesn't happen. We know the why and we see it. We are under the hood and we're very pleased.»
Guerrero is a homegrown four-time all-star who won't be 26 until March 16, an MVP finalist in 2021 who after two down seasons - by his standards - produced a 5.5 fWAR in 2024 in a lineup where he was an island, with his best years still to come.
On top of that, he wants to stay, making him almost the exact prototype of the player the Blue Jays will try to recreate if he ends up leaving.
«I don't want to get too far into the weeds on the negotiation, because anything I share there decreases the likelihood of us getting something done, which is our goal,» Atkins said. «I can say that we have worked very hard to find a way if there is one.»
There are three more days of work for pitchers and catchers for the Blue Jays to decide. Tick Tock
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 14 | 236 ANSWERS Schneider, Gausman and Atkins weigh in on Guerrero extension with 3 days left. Will Ross Atkins get a deal done with Vladimir Guerrero Jr in the next three days? | ||
| Yes | 128 | 54.2 % |
| No | 108 | 45.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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