The Toronto Blue Jays reached an agreement on the 2025 salary for star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on Thursday, ahead of the deadline for teams and players to avoid salary arbitration.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Guerrero settled for $28.5 million — only $3 million shy of Juan Soto's record for a player not yet eligible for free agency.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. settles for $28.5 million, leaving Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani as the only two $30 million arbitration cases
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 10, 2025Had the two sides not reached an agreement, the Jays and Guerrero would have exchanged salary proposals, with an arbitrator ultimately choosing one side or the other. The hearings are often contentious, and serve as a powerful motivator for deciding on a salary ahead of the deadline.
More news: Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays Have Interest in Free Agent: Reports
In 2022, Shohei Ohtani became the first player to make $30 million in his final season of arbitration eligibility. Soto's $31.5 million salary with the Yankees last year broke that record.
In each case, the records for Ohtani and Soto were a precursor to each player getting the largest contract in free agency, as well.
More news: Pirates, Mets, Blue Jays Have Interest in Yankees' Free Agent: Report
Ohtani left the Angels to sign a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Dec. 2023. (The deferred salary payouts in his deal lowered its present-day value to approximately $461 million for purposes of competitive balance tax calculations.)
In Dec. 2024, Soto left the Yankees to sign a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.
More news: MLB Power Rankings: Top 10 Center Fielders
There is no other MLB team in the Toronto media market, so Guerrero's situation will not be perfectly analogous to the precedents set by Soto and Ohtani. But the potential remains for him to sign a blockbuster, multi-year contract when he is eligible for free agency a year from now.
The Blue Jays would like to lock Guerrero in to a long-term deal before then. According to Guerrero himself, who addressed the negotiations in an interview with Abriendo Sports in December, the Jays offered $340 million. That figure was "not even close" to what he's hoping to receive.
More news: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Shades Blue Jays' Latest Contract Offer
The son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, the younger Guerrero has made four All-Star teams, hit 160 home runs, driven in 507 runs, and batted .288 since his 2019 debut. The former top prospect has collected American League MVP votes in three of the last four seasons.
The Blue Jays are looking to rebound in 2025 after finishing 74-88 in 2024. Signing Guerrero to a long-term extension would potentially set them up for success for years, while also bolstering their pitch to free agents now and in the future.
For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
English (US) ·