Blue Jays officially sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million extension

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Ryley Delaney | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 5:00 PM ET

It’s official: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a Toronto Blue Jay for the rest of his career.

While it was reported early Monday evening that the Blue Jays and their superstar first baseman had agreed to a 14-year, $500 million deal with an average annual salary of around $35.714 million, it was only made official on Wednesday afternoon.

THE. FRANCHISE.

OFFICIAL: We’ve agreed to terms with 4x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger, 2x All-MLB First Team Member, 2x Tip O'Neill Award Winner, Hank Aaron Award Winner, and Gold Glover Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a 14-year contract extension! pic.twitter.com/BKGkidltw1

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 9, 2025

There are some other aspects to the deal. There are no opt-outs or deferrals, and the contract has a no-trade clause. Moreover, the contract comes with a $325 million signing bonus, which will be spread over the contract.

A few details on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract:
◾️No deferred money, no opt outs, full no-trade
◾️Deal includes a $325-million signing bonus
◾️$20 million of that bonus is payable this year, before the contract takes effect 2026-2039
◾️Bonus is spread over duration of deal

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) April 9, 2025

More importantly, the Blue Jays now have some certainty for the coming years, as this extension gives the team additional seasons in their window of contention. The first baseman was entering the final season under team control, and had they not traded him, there’s a possibility Guerrero Jr. could have walked for a measly fourth-round compensation pick.

Had the Blue Jays lost Guerrero Jr., it would have signalled the beginning of a new rebuild, and who knows how long that would have lasted. Guerrero Jr. is the cornerstone of this franchise, so it was paramount for the Jays to get the deal done to avoid fan interest crashing.

Of course, Guerrero Jr. is a terrific player on the field, as he’s slashing .287/.362/.498 with 160 home runs in 3,595 plate appearances for a 136 wRC+ in his career. He’s had a slow start through 12 games, but is coming off a season with the sixth-highest wRC+ in the league. There’s been some inconsistency in his game.

So far this season, Guerrero Jr. is slashing .255/.345/.319 with no home runs in 55 plate appearances for a 99 wRC+. It’s been a slow start, but so was his April last season before he torched the league from May onwards.

Time will tell if they’re able to get Bo Bichette a contract extension before he enters free agency at the end of the 2025 season.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: