Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Makes Notable Admission About Blue Jays’ Offer

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro believed progress was made in negotiations with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and general manager Ross Atkins expressed Toronto’s offers were “very, very aggressive.”

Guerrero seemingly didn’t feel the same way, though.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Guerrero was asked if the Blue Jays came close to his contractual desires.

“No,” the four-time MLB All-Star responded, per Sportsnet.

Guerrero said while he had numbers in mind at the beginning of the process, he changed his demands “a little bit.” He hinted such changes were in an effort to make things work.

“They had their numbers, I had my numbers,” Guerrero said through a translator. “But it’s just business. Like I always say, things happen. But we all good.”

Guerrero’s agents and lawyers met with the Blue Jays front office because the two-time Silver Slugger set a 9 p.m. ET deadline Monday for extension talks. He now plans to test free agency.

“Listen, I want to be here. I want to be a Blue Jay for the rest of my career,” he said. “But it’s free agency, it’s business. I’m going to have to listen to 29 more teams and they’re going to have to compete for me.”

The development serves as great news for the Boston Red Sox and other teams potentially interested in signing Guerrero in 2025. Boston is viewed as an early favorite to sign Guerrero, who reportedly has told those close to him he would love to play for the Red Sox.

Guerrero in December confirmed the Blue Jays offered him $340 million, which he said was “not even close” to what he was looking for. With those comments and his sentiments Tuesday, there’s reason to believe bidding could reach the $400-$500 million range.