The perfect opportunity for the Red Sox to combat critics’ spending disapproval has just fallen into Boston’s hands. Baseball columnist Bob Nightengale reported on Jan. 7 that Blue Jays All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would “love to be with the Red Sox” in 2026 if his contract with Toronto isn’t extended.
Nightengale's news couldn’t have come at a better time for Sox fans. After facing plenty of backlash from analysts recently for not spending enough money on free agents this winter, the Sox have the chance to hit back. It’s no secret that Boston needs a heavy-hitting righty bat to balance out their lineup, and Guerrero checks a lot of boxes.
Guerrero has been sensational throughout his career in the league. During his six years in Toronto, he's slashed .288/.363/.500 with a 21.5 WAR, mainly at first base. He's been named an All-Star in four of his six seasons and nominated for MVP in three. He also has two Silver Slugger Awards and one Gold Glove Award under his belt. And if that isn’t impressive, Guerrero also had the honor of being MLB: The Show's cover athlete in 2024.
Sox owner John Henry would be foolish not to consider meeting Guerrero’s high demands. Nightengale revealed that the star Blue Jay wants a contract worth at least $450 million, which would make him the highest-paid player on the Sox if he got his way, topping Rafael Devers’ $313.5 million extension in 2023.
Although a deal that hefty may seem daunting, asking prices for top talent aren’t dropping and the number of teams willing to pay up is climbing. The Sox shouldn’t be scared away by Guerrero’s price.
Red Sox have the opportunity to be proactive in pursuit of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
A bolder move for the Sox would be to trade for Guerrero and immediately offer him the extension he requests. The Blue Jays placed fifth in the AL East last year with a 74-88 record and there’s little indication, even after trading for Gold Glove winner Andrés Giménez, that they will beat the Yankees or Sox in the division. And with Toronto coming up short on Guerrero’s desired $450 million extension by at least $100 million, the Blue Jays would be wise to trade him before the deadline in July so they don’t come up empty-handed and last in AL East again.
Nightengale: Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. "at least $100M apart" in extension talks.
— Underdog MLB (@Underdog__MLB) January 7, 2025
Guerrero would fit in perfectly in Boston. He could easily bat third or fourth next to Devers and his glove would improve the infield defense. The Sox could offer Triston Casas and prospects to the Blue Jays in return, or they could use Casas in another trade to further strengthen the bullpen.
Being aggressive in pursuing Guerrero can only help the Sox. Both sides would get what they want and be significantly closer to achieving what everyone in baseball dreams of: winning the World Series.