The Toronto Blue Jays failed to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a contract extension this offseason and they’re now in a weird spot with the superstar.
If the Blue Jays end up out of contention at the trade deadline, they could look to move Guerrero to a new home for a haul in return. With him entering free agency at the end of the season, Toronto could look to sign him whether they trade him or not.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer recently predicted the Blue Jays would trade Guerrero this season. Rymer listed the Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants as the most likely landing spots.
“Both as a trade candidate and as a free agent, Guerrero is destined to frustrate teams’ valuation models,” Rymer wrote. “He has a history of inconsistency, and the broader history of bat-first, right-handed-hitting, right-handed-throwing first basemen is not great. Then again, he’s also in his mid-20s, and his average output for the last four years consists of a .293 average, a .887 OPS, and 34 home runs.
“Regardless of what happens after 2025, Guerrero is the kind of guy who could entirely change a franchise’s sightlines. Even a middling contender could put its eye on the World Series with him aboard for October.”
Of the four teams mentioned, they could each make sense in their own way.
The Mets have already spent nearly $1 billion this offseason, so spending more by acquiring Guerrero would fit the bill. New York is also a candidate to sign him during the 2026 offseason given owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets.
The Mariners are a good offense away from being World Series contenders. They have the farm system to make a deal happen, though they likely wouldn’t re-sign him next winter.
The Rangers are in an interesting spot. They seemingly have the talent to win, but the 2024 season was disappointing. Acquiring Guerrero could make them World Series contenders again.
The Giants need to add a first baseman and Guerrero would make plenty of sense. San Francisco needs another superstar to try to chase down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
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