Blue Jays' Andres Gimenez drops 2-word nickname for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after $500 million extension

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ended speculations surrounding his future in Toronto after signing a blockbuster $500 million contract extension over 14 years with the Toronto Blue Jays this month.

The All-Star infielder was the subject of trade rumors after he failed to reach an agreement with the Blue Jays in Spring Training, heading into the final year of his current deal.

However, with the new extension, Guerrero Jr. is likely to play his entire MLB career with the Blue Jays. Following his mega-deal, Blue Jays teammate and fellow infielder Andres Gimenez coined a two-word nickname for the slugger.

"Mr. 500m," Gimenez wrote in his Instagram story.

Gimenez reacted to the video shared by the Blue Jays on Instagram, paying tribute to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s extension. In the video, the All-Star slugger reflected on what it meant to be growing up watching the team and playing for the team his father played for.

He was signed by the Blue Jays as an international free agent in 2016 and made his MLB debut in 2019. He has been one of the most prominent hitters in the game since his debut earning four All-Star nods.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. acknowledges Blue fans in heartfelt message

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays failed to agree on extension terms during the offseason, fuelling rumors of an exit from Toronto after opting for free agency next offseason.

However, the 26-year-old agreed to a revised deal with the team that reportedly has a $325 million signing bonus with the rest of the contract paid over 14 years. He reflected on the deal, thanking the Blue Jays fans and hailing Toronto as his "second home."

“I love our Blue Jays fans; they have supported me my whole career and made me feel appreciated every day,” Guerrero Jr. said “My family and I have a special connection to our second home in Toronto, and I feel fortunate to carry on my dad’s legacy and represent an entire country.

"I am very proud to wear the maple leaf and to be part of an organization with the same goal – to bring World Series championships back to Canada.”

The four-time All-Star has had a slow start to the season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has four RBIs and 15 hits this season with three of them coming against the Boston Red Sox in a 2-1 win on Wednesday.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash