How Vlad Jr’s $500 Million Deal Impacts Blue Jays

BOSTON — There was a sense of calm in the visitors’ clubhouse at Fenway Park earlier this week. George Springer stretched out on one of the few couches in the tight space, watching the Masters on a tiny television. Bo Bichette beamed with confidence as he left one of the team’s daily hitters’ meetings, making his way to his locker on the far side of the clubhouse.

The Blue Jays had good reason to feel upbeat. They were on their way to taking three of four from the Red Sox at Fenway Park — a place that’s given them fits the past couple of years.

Both Springer and Bichette have gotten off to strong starts after struggling in 2023.

But one development stood out more than anything else in fueling the team’s optimism: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s massive contract extension, which will likely keep him in Toronto for the rest of his career.

"I’ve been with him my entire professional career," Bichette said. "I know it’s what he wanted and what the organization wanted. So, to see him get it done is not only great for me to see, but I think it’s great for the whole team."

There’s something powerful about certainty and stability. For the last couple of seasons, that’s been missing in Toronto.

The club, despite all its talent, hasn’t lived up to expectations. They got swept in back-to-back Wild Card Series in 2022 and 2023.

Then in 2024, despite having one of the best rosters in baseball on paper, they missed the playoffs entirely, finishing dead last in the AL East.

Toronto seemed like it should be a prime landing spot for free agents, but several top stars chose to go elsewhere.

Shohei Ohtani picked the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season, then delivered a World Series title and grabbed his third MVP.

This past offseason, Juan Soto chose the Mets over the Yankees, Red Sox, and… the Blue Jays.

Guerrero’s uncertain future didn’t help convince Soto that Toronto was a stable destination. That’s when worry really started building inside the organization. Not only were they being passed over by superstar talent, but they faced losing their own homegrown cornerstone.

But Guerrero put those fears to rest, agreeing to a massive 14-year, $500 million deal with a jaw-dropping $325-million signing bonus.

For Guerrero, Toronto is simply home.

"It’s always been my goal to be here, and I feel like I accomplished that," Guerrero said earlier this week when the deal became official. "Like I always say, I just trusted in the process. Every step with my family, my agents, my close ones, I had faith that the outcome would be a good one."

Franchise players are the backbone of any organization. Even through the rough patches, there’s huge value in having a superstar who sticks around. Springer knows this firsthand. He came up in an Astros system that watched Jose Altuve grind through the tough years, then eventually lift the team to championship heights.

"I think when you have a guy like that, whether it’s Vladdy, Altuve, Devers, or a guy like Bobby Witt Jr. or Trout, I feel like every team has a guy who you can kind of see and associate that team with," Springer said. "And, for Vladimir, I think, he’s going to be here for a long time, and he’s going to be a steady, calming presence."

That calming presence allows players like Bichette, another homegrown cornerstone, to envision a future with his longtime friend and teammate in Toronto.

If the Blue Jays had traded Guerrero or let him walk in free agency, Bichette would almost certainly have been heading for the exit too.

"I think it just gives the team certainty," Bichette said. "It gives the team an identity."

A steady presence now gives those superstar players who once passed on Toronto a reason to take a second look because of Guerrero.

"I mean, he’s one of the biggest personalities in the game and people gravitate toward him," added Bichette.

The gravitational pull of a giant like Guerrero should position the Blue Jays as a threat for years to come.

"It’s been 10 or 11 years since I’ve been here," said Guerrero. "It is a family."