BOSTON – Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s contract saga reached a historical conclusion early Monday morning when he and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a $500-million, 14-year extension that’s pending a physical, according to an industry source.
There’s no deferred money in the deal, which means once completed, it will be the second-richest contract in baseball history, entirely recasting the franchise’s trajectory while further driving up the price for elite young talent industry-wide.
In terms of present value, Guerrero’s looming windfall will trail only Juan Soto’s $765-million, 15-year record deal from the New York Mets, and jump ahead of Shohei Ohtani’s $700-million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which nets out closer to $460 million, depending on how the deferrals are discounted.
The stunning sum is the result of negotiations that resumed quietly last week after the sides hit a wall multiple times over the past two months, most notably before a Feb. 18 deadline set by the four-time all-star, and again just before Opening Day.
Once finalized, the contract essentially buys out the rest of Guerrero’s career, after months of back-and-forth between the sides that gradually brought them together.
The commitment also doubles Miguel Cabrera’s $248-million, eight-year deal from the Detroit Tigers for the biggest guarantee ever given to a first baseman, and is more than three times the largest deal previously handed out by the Blue Jays, George Springer’s $150 million over six years.
Here’s a look at the largest contracts in team history:
