The New York Yankees are projected to land Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in next year’s free agency. Guerrero set a deadline of the first day of spring training for the Toronto Blue Jays to extend his contract, but after no agreement was reached, he plans to test the open market. MLB insider Steve Phillips believes Guerrero will ultimately sign with the Yankees.
“I think he’s going to be a Yankee,” Phillips said on MLB Network Radio. “They’ll give him a contract similar to what Soto would have gotten, and with Guerrero and Judge in the middle of the lineup, they’ll build a great team for the future and be the best in the American League.”
If Guerrero leaves Toronto for New York, it would be a surprising move, but Phillips thinks the Yankees will be motivated to sign him to replace Juan Soto and secure a first baseman for the long term. In 2024, Guerrero hit .323 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs, with a career-high 48 home runs and 111 RBIs in 2021.
Though Phillips predicts Guerrero will sign with the Yankees, the player himself has expressed a desire to stay in Toronto. Guerrero, who signed with the Blue Jays as an international free agent, said, “I love the city. I love the fans.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr
This is hard. But at the end of the day, it’s business, and I want to be good with that, too.” However, Guerrero made it clear that Toronto will have to compete with other teams for his services in free agency. “They expressed what they had, I expressed what I had. Now, they’re going to have to compete with 29 more teams.”
Interestingly, Guerrero had previously stated he would never play for the Yankees. In 2022, he said, “No, not even dead,” when asked about joining the Yankees, and reiterated the sentiment in 2023, citing family reasons. Despite these past comments, many insiders, including Phillips, believe he will eventually sign with New York, and it will be fascinating to see what prompted a change in his stance.
Leave a Reply