After failing to come to an agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays on a contract extension prior to his self-imposed deadline, star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is set to hit free agency after the 2025 season.
"They had their numbers, I had my numbers," the 25-year-old told reporters at spring training on Tuesday as to why they weren't able to find common ground.
Following the announcement, MLB insider Jon Heyman listed some—admittedly very early—favorites to land Guerrero Jr. in free agency next winter:
- Boston Red Sox
- New York Mets
- New York Yankees
(Very) early favorites to land Vlad Jr. this winter: 1. Red Sox 2. Mets (assuming Pete opts out) 3. Yankees https://t.co/VLWKZoD4o5
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 18, 2025
He added that the Mets are only listed under the assumption that Pete Alonso, who agreed to a two-year, $54 million contract with New York last week, will opt out of the second year of his deal.
Guerrero Jr.'s fit with Boston was recently floated by USA Today's Bob Nightengale, who wrote last month that "he would love to be with the Red Sox, friends say." He added that Guerrero is seeking "at least $450 million" in a new deal.
As for the Yankees, they'll always be in on everyone.
Since joining the Blue Jays in 2019, Guerrero Jr. has been named an All-Star four times, an All-MLB first-teamer twice, and has won two Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove. He's a career .288 hitter who's roped 160 home runs to go along with 507 RBI.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB Insider Names Top Three Favorites to Land Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in Free Agency.
