What does Vladimir Guerrero Jr think he is worth?

The face of the franchise is going to be the most sought-after first baseman next year.

That is if the Toronto Blue Jays cannot succeed in convincing Vladdy to stay.

Guerrero is an excellent player and has been a cornerstone of the franchise for a long time now.

The Jays will be devastated if they lose him, that being said, how much Vladdy is worth to them will show in these extension talks.

However the Blue Jays do not have much time left (days in fact) to come up with a deal in which both parties are satisfied. If they want their All-Star first baseman to stay on their team, Ross Atkins will have to move fast.

As the speculation around Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s future contract heats up, figures ranging from $400 to $450 million are being thrown around, but Sportsnet's Shi Davidi believes that number might be a bit high.

Davidi insinuates that first basemen do not get high amounts. While Guerrero's potential is undeniable, the largest contract ever handed to a first baseman Miguel Cabrera's $292 million extension with the Tigers-serves as an intriguing reference point.

Cabrera's deal, which covered his 2016-2023 seasons, had $44 million left from his old contract, meaning the total payout over the 10 years amounted to $292 million.

The debate remains whether first basemen deserve to be valued as highly as other positions given the relative lack of defensive value, but Guerrero's offensive firepower and overall marketability still suggest he could surpass Cabrera's figure.

Guerrero has become synonymous with the Toronto Blue Jays, not just as their star player, but as the face of the franchise.

The Canadian-born, Dominican-raised slugger is coming off a monster season, slashing .323/.396/.544 over 159 games with 30 homers and 103 RBIs.

His impressive performance also earned him a second Silver Slugger and a fourth consecutive All-Star Game appearance.

Despite being just 25 years old, Guerrero is already among the elite, finishing sixth in the American League MVP voting.

Guerrero has made it clear that he wants to stay in Toronto long-term, but the two sides still seem far apart on terms.

Reports have indicated a gap of $100 million, which is no small difference when we're talking about a player of Guerrero's caliber.

Vladdy is reportedly eyeing a deal worth at least $450 million, with some speculating that the numbers could reach as high as $477 million over 12 years, as laid out by Jim Bowden of The Athletic.

The current high mark for an infielder?

Manny Machado's 11-year, $350 million deal with the San Diego Padres. Should Guerrero's potential extension exceed that, it would be a massive win for the Blue Jays and a sign that the team is all-in on keeping their young superstar in the fold for years to come.

If he were to leave as a free agent and the Blue Jays ended the season as a CBT payor, they'd be entitled only to one compensatory draft pick after the fourth round.

Given how disastrous a return that would be, the club would have to weigh trading him at the deadline if it wasn't in contention, making this some extremely high-risk asset management.

Still, even if Guerrero were to leave as a free agent, the Blue Jays could always reallocate the money for him elsewhere, but as the past couple of off-seasons have shown, there's no guarantee the players you really want will take it.