MLB analyst calls out Blue Jays' double standards in rejecting Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s $35M demand after higher Juan Soto offer

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. turned down a contract extension offer from the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason, shocking many around Major League Baseball. The All-Star first baseman has played his entire season in Toronto, but it appears that the 2025 season will be his last in Canada.

MLB insider Buster Olney recently published an ESPN article detailing what the Blue Jays offered Guerrero this offseason. His initial reaction was confusion, and he was able to get some rival executives to express their confusion on the offer as well.

"The present-day value of what Vlad wanted was about $45 a year. The Jays signed George Springer five years ago, at age 31, for $25m AAV, and offered Soto closer to $50m AAV. The math does not make sense," Olney wrote on X.

Guerrero has maintained that he wants to play with the Blue Jays as that is the only franchise he has ever known. Toronto has struggled to attract big free agents in recent years, but now they are on the verge of losing the face of their franchise.

"For the Jays, desperately in need of a franchise face, knowledge of the take-down number is worth everything. And they should say yes to it. Today," Olney added.

Olney spoke with other MLB executives and it's clear that some recognize a big mistake from Toronto. Even if Guerrero is only a DH in the future, he is still worth the price.

"If you're going to pay Soto or Vladdy, you're paying for the bat," one rival executive told Olney. "You're paying for the power and the contact with damage, for a player at a young age."

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shares mindset heading into 2025 MLB season

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set a deadline for contract extension talks with the Toronto Blue Jays so that he could focus on baseball. Speaking to MLB Network on Thursday, Guerrero discussed his mindset after the deadline passed without a deal.

"Not only for me, but for my teammates," Guerrero said. "I don't want you to be asking my teammate, 'Oh, is he going to stay here? Is he going to leave?' We are grown a** men here, and we understand the business.

"So when the season starts, we're playing for wins. We're not playing anything else. That's my point. All the guys, the new guys, try to play with his mind clean and try to play to win the World Series."

Guerrero will try to enjoy his final guaranteed season in Toronto, while keeping an open mind about his future.