When should the Blue Jays pull the trigger on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Trade?

The Toronto Blue Jays failed to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before the self-imposed deadline at the onset of Spring Training. That means, barring an unforeseen change, Guerrero will be available at the start of the next offseason to sign with any team he chooses.

The Blue Jays, since they didn't meet his asking price, are perhaps not willing to spend on Guerrero. That implies that they're not going to outbid other teams, like the New York Mets or New York Yankees, for Guerrero on the open market.

As a result, it may be wise to trade him now. The Jays are coming off a last-place finish, so it may be a good time to trade him (and Bo Bichette) to kickstart a rebuild. If so, here's when they should do just that.

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When can the Blue Jays trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

The first option is to trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr. right now. His value is pretty high after a stellar year last year. He was the sixth-best hitter in baseball by wRC+ in 2024, and it may not get much better.

He'd have a ton of value now since it would be for a full season rather than the last couple of months. The Jays don't have to trade him now, but the earlier they do, the better the return can be.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. might be traded (Imagn)

The second option is to wait it out and see after a couple of months. Guerrero could conceivably get off to a hot start and push his value even higher. The Jays may see enough from him in that time to know they'd rather keep him and work towards re-signing him in the offseason. This option provides more clarity.

The final option is to trade him at the deadline. Teams can get desperate at the deadline, especially those with holes. Right now, Guerrero Jr. figures to be one of the best players possibly available this summer, which means there could be a bidding war.

This option gives the Jays the most clarity on their situation, and it could come with a pretty strong return. It's rare for a team to add a player of Guerrero's caliber to their lineup at the deadline, and contenders would probably part with a pretty great haul to do so. This option remains the most likely.