Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Shares Motives Behind Signing His Contract
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The Toronto Blue Jays are still rolling atop the American League East standings.
While their series against the Chicago Cubs featured one blemish, they rebounded to take the series by winning the finale.
On Tuesday, Toronto took home a 5-1 victory against the Cubs, making them first team in the AL to reach 70 wins this season, but they dropped their matchup on Wednesday after Chicago won 4-1.
Facing a 1-0 deficit on Thursday, it was the Blue Jays superstar who stepped up to the plate and delivered a clutch moment, blasting a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Toronto a 2-1 lead that proved to be the difference.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been a powerful force for this franchise throughout his career.
While he has experienced a bit of a drop in his performance recently, he showed exactly why the Blue Jays were willing to lock him down with a historic contract extension.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Shared Why He Signed Blue Jays Contract
But it didn't have to happen that way.
Instead of hitting the open market, he opted to sign a 14-year, $500 million extension in April, which was one the most lucrative deal handed out in the team's history.
This colossal signing is likely to make Toronto his family's home for the rest of his career, and it doesn't sound like they will have any complaints about that.
"One of the main reasons that I signed my contract with Toronto, it was for Vlaimel," Guerrero told Keegan Matheson of MLB.com in reference of his daughter. "Of course, it was for my entire family, but she loves the city. She loves it. She loves the fans. She's always happy to be around [the stadium], and she's always happy there. She's one of the main reasons that I'm here in Toronto."
Knowing the primary reasons behind his signing, his daughter should get some credit for the Blue Jays’ success, considering her influence on her father and her natural draw to the city.
Ultimately, she is one of the main reasons why he chose to remain with the franchise.
In his interview with Matheson, Guerrero acknowledged the consistent respect he has noticed from Blue Jays fans over the years. With this in mind, it's easy to understand why he would want to raise his daughter around the city.
It's clear that he and his family have bonded with Toronto.
According to Matheson, she specifically asked her father if they would be able to stay in the city, which he decided to do by inking that historic deal.
