Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sends clear message to fans after massive extension

Modified Apr 10, 2025 11:49 GMT

Toronto Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Getty)

Toronto Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has revealed that he will stay put in Toronto after inking a massive 14-year, $500 million deal, the third-richest contract in baseball after Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani.

Guerrero has been a staple for the Jays ever since making his debut in 2019. He has collected four All-Star selections, two Silver Sluggers, and a Gold Glove Award. In 2021, he finished as the runner-up in American League MVP voting.

When asked if he had a message for his fans, Guerrero said:

"I'm going to stay at home. Toronto is my home forever."

Guerrero was interviewed after Toronto's 2-1 triumph over the Boston Red Sox. He kept his message short but assured the fans that he would stay with the organization for the foreseeable future.

Interestingly, after garnering the third-most lucrative deal in baseball, the 26-year-old star will also be paid $325 million as a signing bonus over the course of his contract.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vows to bring title back to Toronto

It has been almost 32 years since Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run gave the Toronto Blue Jays their last world championship. The three-run shot to left field in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series was arguably the most famous walk-off home run in the Fall Classic's history before Freddie Freeman's grand slam in Game 1 against the Yankees in last year's ultimate extravaganza.

In a note penned by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after he signed a record-breaking extension with the Jays, the infield superstar pledged to bring titles back to the North.

"I love our Blue Jays fans; they have supported me my whole career and made me feel appreciated every day ... 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."

Born in Montreal, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. holds both Canadian and Dominican citizenship.

After the Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993, the 1994 title seemed like it would stay in Canada as the Montreal Expos held the best record in the majors at 74-40 before the longest strike in MLB ensued.

Since then, no Canadian team has ever competed in the World Series. The Blue Jays' 2015 and 2016 ALCS campaigns fell short against the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians, respectively.

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Daniel Santiago