Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will enter free agency after the 2025 season after he and his longtime team, the Toronto Blue Jays, couldn't come to terms on an extension.
Guerrero gave Toronto's front office a hard deadline to end negotiations at the start of spring training. The Jays' first full squad workout arrived, and the 25-year-old told reporters that he'll hit the open market after the upcoming season.
The corner infielder has expressed an interest in playing the rest of his career with the Blue Jays, but they couldn't meet his financial demands. Some publications have speculated that Guerrero will net $500-600 million from his future team.
The Boston Red Sox are often named as a popular destination for Guerrero. MLB insider Bob Nightengale has reported that the Red Sox are among the longtime division rival's preferred signing destinations, but if he covets $600 million, his preference may not matter. If history is any indication, there's little chance that Boston meets that price, or anything too close to it.
The one thing Sox fans had going for them was the belief that Guerrero hates the Yankees and has said in the past that he'll "never" play for them. He's since walked those comments back — maybe because the Yankees are one of a small number of teams in MLB that even has a chance to meet his contract demands. In an interview with MLB insider Jon Heyman, Guerrero said he's open to signing pretty much anywhere.
To Red Sox Nation's dismay, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. retracts old stance on playing for Yankees
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said he does not plan to negotiate a potential contract extension in-season, paving the way for him to reach free agency in November.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 18, 2025
"If I go to free agency, every team — all 30 teams — are going to have the opportunity to sit down with me, to talk to me. I'm okay with everything. It's in the past," Guerrero said (subscription required.)
Guerrero's quote is similar to one from Juan Soto after the Yankees lost in the World Series. He said he'd hear all 30 teams out, but ultimately, cash was king, and he accepted the largest contract in sports history from the Mets.
The Yankees are one of the main reasons Soto's contract was driven so high. Mets owner Steve Cohen has enough money to beat any other offer, and the Yankees were the second-highest bidder for his services, effectively raising his price for the Mets.
Regardless of who his eventual suitors are, Guerrero is certain to be the most expensive infielder on the free agent market next year. Sox fans everywhere hope he still hates the Yankees and that he'll just use them for leverage, but they have more than enough money to actually land the first baseman if his distaste for the club has truly subsided.