Auston Matthews makes his thoughts clear on fellow Toronto superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s $500M extension

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews opened up about baseball superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signing a new contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. The news about Guerrero signing a 14-year, $500-million extension with the franchise broke on Sunday.

Hockey news platform Leafs Latest posted a quote from Matthews on X on Monday about the 26-year-old Guerrero’s new deal.

“I’ve been fortunate to get to know him a little bit over the years," Matthews said. "He’s an incredible player — still a really young player — and a franchise kind of guy. It’s pretty cool to have a guy like him wrapped up for the next several years."

Guerrero debuted for the Blue Jays in 2019 and was set to become a free agent at the end of this season. According to reports, the new deal is subject to a physical. If confirmed, it will also significantly affect the MLB free agent market, experts said, with one of the most attractive targets being taken off the board.

The deal is the third largest in MLB history, behind Shohei Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million contract with the LA Dodgers and Juan Soto's 15-year, $765-million deal with the New York Mets. However, Guerrero's deal reportedly does not include any deferred payments.

In the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs are four points clear at the top of the Atlantic Division. Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist in their latest 5-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

MLB insider joins Auston Matthews in commenting on Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s new contract

After news of the massive contract hit the airwaves, sports analysts wasted no time in analyzing the repercussions and knock-on effects. MLB insider Jorge Castillo shared his reaction to Guerrero 's new deal.

“It's about time. Is Guerrero the perfect player? No,” Castillo said via ESPN on Monday. “But he is a 26-year-old Canadian-born homegrown superstar and the son of a Hall of Famer who wants to stay in Toronto. The Blue Jays will never have another player like this again.

"For a franchise that has failed to attract stars north of the border - over and over and over again - this is the right move, even if it could become an uncomfortable overpay on the backend.”

The 2025 MLB season kicked off on March 27 and will last until Sep. 28. The NHL’s last regular season game is set to be played on April 17.