• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 1, 2025

Blue Jays CEO Says Guerrero Not Ohtani, but Confident He’ll Sign

Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro typically chooses his words very carefully, which made new optimism about retaining star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all the more notable. 

Gerry Angus-Imagn Images

Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is going to remain in Toronto long-term—at least if team president and CEO Mark Shapiro gets his way.

The normally reserved and deliberate Shapiro gave an extended set of comments regarding Guerrero’s upcoming free agency after the 2025 season, which is set to lead the upcoming class of available players, and said the two sides are philosophically closer on a contract extension than what has been previously suggested.

“I think we’re going to sign him. I think we’re going to extend him,” Shapiro said. “We have such a clear alignment on the desired outcome.

“Vlad wants to play his whole career as a Toronto Blue Jay. We want him to end his career in a Blue Jays uniform and be a true legacy player for the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s a pretty good place to start,” he said.

The 26-year-old Guerrero cut off contract extension talks a month ago and previously indicated a substantial financial divide with Toronto. That gap then appeared to winnow as the first baseman later said he was seeking less than $600 million over a long-term deal, a figure far below the record-setting $765 million pact between Juan Soto and the Mets. The Blue Jays have reportedly offered about $500 million over 14 years, with some deferrals that lower the present-day value of the proposal to around $450 million.

“I’ve always felt good about the whole thing,” Guerrero said in response to Shapiro’s comments. “I’m good with that. [I’m] just going to keep working hard and be optimistic, [and] not shut the door on them.”

Public Positioning

Shapiro’s comments may be, at least in part, an attempted signal to the market that no other team will be able to match Toronto’s offer—even as Guerrero has said the Blue Jays “are going to have to compete with 29 other teams.”

Furthering that argument was Shapiro’s assertion that Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani stands alone in having an economic justification for his contract that transcends on-field performance. 

“Let me clear. There’s only been one player in my time in Major League Baseball who had a marketing case that significantly and meaningfully offsets the value of his contract. One player. Only one,” Shapiro said, referring to Ohtani. “In every other case, I would say the only other thing that actually sells tickets in the hundreds of thousands is winning. There are players who have magnetic personalities, like Vlad, who amplify winning and can really help, but fans don’t come to see great players on losing teams.”

As Shapiro sought to make that claim, the Blue Jays also came up short in recent years in landing several major free agents, including Ohtani, Soto, and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Steve Cohen Taps USTA’s Lew Sherr to Reshape Mets Off Field

The MLB club hires a top executive from the U.S. Tennis Association.

MSG Tickets for Potential Pacers-Knicks Game 7 Start at $1,100

The current get-in price for a potential Game 7 is $1,099.

French Open Scheduling Sparks Backlash Over Women’s Time Slots

Coco Gauff has also said the French Open schedule could be improved.

Chiefs, Royals Stadium Plans Hit Political Wall As Both Parties Say No

Both Republicans and Democrats in Missouri oppose public funding for stadiums.

Featured Today

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
John Haliburton

John Haliburton’s Brief Ban Ends With Pacers on Brink of Finals

John Haliburton was sitting in a suite instead of his usual courtside seat. 
May 27, 2025

Dodgers’ Biggest Deadline Pickup Might Already Be in L.A.

Ohtani faces batters as a pitcher for the first time in 21 months.
Cousins
May 27, 2025

Kirk Cousins, James Cook Among Prominent NFL OTA Absences

The NFL’s 2024 rushing touchdowns leader was among the absences Tuesday.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
Russian hockey
May 27, 2025

Russia Still Banned From 2026 Winter Olympics, IOC Confirms

Russia men’s hockey won gold and silver in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
May 27, 2025

How Much Do NFL Agents Make?

We dive into what agents make at American football’s highest level.
May 26, 2025

Caitlin Clark Injury Is Speed Bump Early in WNBA Season

Clark will miss at least four games based on the timeline.
May 25, 2025

Tom Brady Backs Another Crypto Play

Brady is in a group investing $18 million in a crypto-adjacent business.