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Perhaps the Mets will be shelling out a mega contract for the second straight offseason next winter.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays did not reach an agreement on a contract extension before the Monday deadline he set, and the All-Star first baseman does not wish to negotiate during the season, meaning he will hit the open market next offseason as he enters the final year of his current contract.
The 25-year-old says he and the club were not close on a deal.
“I had my number all along. I changed it a little bit. But, still, it just didn’t happen,” Guerrero told reporters Tuesday, according to Sportsnet.
Guerrero, who turns 26 next month, is less than five months younger than Juan Soto, whom the Mets gave a record 15-year, $765 million contract to in December.
After a long contract negotiation, the Mets brought back longtime first baseman Pete Alonso on a two-year, $54 million contract that pays him $30 million in 2025 and includes an opt-out after the first season.
While the two sides seem interested in sticking together, Alonso could hit the market again if he has a good enough season, and at that point the Mets would have to weigh whether to pay a 31-year-old fan favorite or give a monster deal to Guerrero, who will be entering his age-27 season.
Other big-market teams like some of Toronto’s division rivals, the Yankees and Red Sox, also figure to be involved.
“Listen, I want to be here,” Guerrero told reporters. “I want to be a Blue Jay for the rest of my career. But it’s free agency. It’s business. I’m going to have to listen to 29 more teams and they’re going to have to compete.”
Guerrero’s Hall of Fame dad, who shares the same name, did not win a championship during his 16-year career with the Expos, Angels, Rangers and Orioles.
“Winning team,” Guerrero Jr. said about what he’s looking for in free agency. “As you guys know, my dad played a lot of years. He never he never won the World Series. And I always said, my personal goal is to win a World Series and give the ring to my dad. That’s what I’m looking for.”
