Blue Jays Superstar Reveals Advice MLB Legend Father Gave Him Ahead of Extension
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The Toronto Blue Jays made the easy choice of securing their franchise cornerstone for the long term. What might not have been so easy, was how much money they ended up giving him.
It took 14-year, $500 million and a full no-trade clause for the Jays to secure Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and keep him in Toronto for essentially the rest of his career. As it turns out, someone close to him was never going to let him go any closer.
Vladimir Guerrero Sr. is no stranger to the game of baseball. He is a Hall of Famer, had a 16-year career and made a whole lot of money along the way. His son’s new deal dwarfs his career earnings, but that was a different time.
To no surprise, Jr. reached out to Sr. for some advice ahead of his contract and what he got back is exactly what any father would say in that situation. It might just not be exactly what the Jays would like to hear.
When talking to the media following the official confirmation, Guerrero revealed that his father had this to say, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com: “Trust god. My dad told me to trust god, and to get the last penny that I could from the organization.”
This contract will completely reset the market, even in ways that even the Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani deals were unable to. While Guerrero Jr. is a superstar and fantastic player, it is clear that he is in what would likely be that second tier of star. Not generational, but still one of the best in the league.
Toronto may have gotten a better deal on the first baseman had they done this deal a few years ago. His fourth All-Star campaign and second MVP-level season from 2024 ensured that they would have to open up the pocket books even more.
The 25-year-old posted a .323/.396/.544 slash line last season with 30 home runs, 103 RBI and an OPS+ of 165. He accrued 5.4 fWAR, which was 14th in the league.
With that now being considered a $500 million stat line, players like Kyle Tucker, Gunnar Henderson and Elly De La Cruz will be elated and not sign for any less.
There is a chance that in a few years, the Jays look back and consider that a solid price. In all actuality, if they didn’t pay it, someone else would have. With his father in his corner, it is clear that Guerrero was not going to sign for anything less than his camp felt that he deserved.
