Auston Matthews excited Vladimir Guerrero Jr. re-signed with Blue Jays: ‘He’s an incredible player’

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was happy to see the Toronto Blue Jays extend superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on Monday.

Reports that the two parties agreed to a 14-year, $500 million contract emerged in the early hours of the morning, making it the most expensive contract in franchise history as well as the second-highest in MLB history behind only Juan Soto’s contract that he signed with the New York Mets in December (15-years, $765 million).

The much-anticipated extension put to bed free agency and trade rumours about Guerrero Jr. while the Blue Jays were able to lock up the remainder of their superstar’s prime.

“It’s exciting. I like watching baseball, I like following the Blue Jays,” Matthews said to reporters after practice on Monday. “I’ve been fortunate to get to know him a little bit over the years. I think he’s an incredible player, still a really young player and a franchise kind of guy. It’s pretty cool to have a guy like him wrapped up for the next several years. It will be fun to continue to watch him and the Blue Jays.”

Leafs fans know that Matthews grew up playing baseball along with hockey, and his dad argued that the Leafs’ captain was better at baseball because his hand-eye coordination made him an exceptional hitter. The primary reason he ultimately decided to focus on hockey was because he enjoyed the faster pace of the sport over baseball’s more methodical pace.

“I was really into baseball because my dad and grandpop played it growing up. I really enjoyed hitting the most, and that was really my strong suit. I enjoyed catching as well,” Matthews said to NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale about baseball back in 2016. “It’s kind of different because usually in hockey it’s dad who takes you to the pond, but it’s a little different coming from Arizona. My dad (Brian) played baseball in college. I did enjoy baseball, and it was certainly something I liked to play, but hockey would become my No. 1 passion.”

While we will never know for sure how he would have done if he stuck with baseball, Leafs fans are fortunate he focused on hockey instead as he has cemented himself as arguably the most talented player in franchise history. Matthews is sixth in Leafs all-time points, 12th in assists, and second in goals behind only Mats Sundin. Should he remain a Leaf beyond his current four-year contract, there is a good chance he could become the first Leaf ever to score 500 goals donning the Blue and White.

Matthews may be in the midst of a down season by his standards with 71 points (30 goals and 41 assists) in 61 games played, but he is still third on the team in scoring and recorded his ninth consecutive 30-goal campaign. Meanwhile, Guerrero Jr. has recorded a .256 AVG, 10 RBIs, .333 OBP, and a .666 OPS through the first 10 games of the 2025 season for the Blue Jays.