"Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is not Juan Soto" - MLB insider gets real about Blue Jays superstar's free agency

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made headlines earlier this week by putting off contract extension negotiations with the Toronto Blue Jays. The first baseman had given the club a deadline to extend him before the start of spring training. However, it appears the Blue Jays couldn't match Guerrero Jr.'s desired contract value.

If the Blue Jays fail to extend Guerrero Jr. by the end of the 2025 season, he will become a free agent, likely drawing interest from all 29 other teams.

Amid the uncertainty, MLB insider Jon Heyman shared his thoughts on Guerrero Jr.'s impending free agency, his potential contract value and whether he could break Juan Soto's record 15-year, $765 million deal.

Heyman named the Red Sox, Mets and Yankees as potential destinations for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

"Yeah, the rumor is that he likes the Red Sox," Heyman told Robert Murray on "The Baseball Insiders" podcast (8:20 onwards). "Certainly, the Mets, with Alonso having the opt-out, that’s a possible opening—they obviously have the money. The Yankees, they’ve got Goldschmidt on a one-year deal."

"It’s got to be a big-market team. Obviously, he’s not Soto, he’s not getting $765 million, but he’s going to expect over $500 million."

Continuing the conversation, Heyman noted that only a handful of teams will pursue Guerrero Jr., as few clubs are willing to spend more than $500 million for a player, "no matter how good a player it is."

Jon Heyman knew Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was likely to test free agency

In December, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. revealed he had asked the Blue Jays to offer an extension before entering spring training. While, negotiations beganm, they failed to result in a deal.

Jon Heyman believes this outcome was expected, citing past cases where star players opted to test free agency to secure the best contract.

"I mean, you know, normally a superstar doesn’t do a deal with a year to go before free agency," Heyman told Robert Murray on "The Baseball Insiders" podcast.

"That doesn’t mean he’s not going back to Toronto. We saw Judge go back to the Yankees, we saw Alonso go back to the Mets, so I’m not ruling out Toronto. And, you know, I think it was a long shot, probably."

The Yankees offered Aaron Judge a $213.5 million extension before the 2022 season, his contract year. He declined, broke the AL single-season home run record, and ultimately secured a nine-year, $360 million deal.

A similar story could unfold for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.