Report: Blue Jays, Guerrero agree to 14-year, $500M extension

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a 14-year, $500-million extension, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The development comes several weeks after Guerrero's self-imposed extension deadline, which he set for the beginning of spring training. The Blue Jays reportedly made their first baseman an offer in late March, but a gap between the two sides persisted.

Guerrero was on track to become a free agent at season's end. He noted in February that he'd meet with all 30 teams if he hit the open market.

His deal with the Blue Jays features no deferrals, according to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi. It also doesn't include any opt outs, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. The $500-million contract is the second-richest in MLB in terms of present value, trailing only Juan Soto's $765-million pact with the New York Mets, which was signed over the winter.

Shohei Ohtani's $700-million agreement is currently valued at approximately $437.8 million because of deferrals, per Nicholson-Smith.

The Blue Jays signed Guerrero as an international free agent in 2015, and he ascended into baseball's top prospect before debuting with Toronto in 2019 as a 20-year-old. He's accrued 17.0 fWAR over his seven-year career while slashing .287/.362/.498 and belting 160 home runs.

His best year came in 2021 when he finished runner-up as the American League's most valuable player. He set career highs across the board that season, including 48 homers and 111 runs batted in.

The Blue Jays have made the playoffs three times with Guerrero in the fold but lost the wild-card round each time.