Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. says he’s always going to remember this day.
Friends, family, teammates and members of the team’s front office joined him at Rogers Centre for a celebratory news conference Monday after he signed a 14-year contract extension worth $500 million US.
“I would [always] think about this since I signed here,” Guerrero said in a packed media conference room. “I’d always think, ‘I’m going to be a Blue Jay forever,’ and that’s what happened today.
“Now we did it and I’m going to be a Blue Jay forever.”
OFFICIAL: BLUE JAY FOR LIFE 🥹✍️💙 <a href=”https://t.co/vxhp5XVKCQ”>pic.twitter.com/vxhp5XVKCQ</a>
News that the two sides had agreed to a deal first broke a week ago. The Blue Jays confirmed the signing last Wednesday when the team was on the road.
Guerrero is a homegrown face of the franchise who has been one of the sport’s more impactful players since making his big-league debut in 2019.
He finished second in American League MVP voting in 2021. The four-time all-star was sixth in last year’s vote.
Guerrero’s extension kicks in next year and will last through the 2039 campaign when he’ll be 40 years old.
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“This is an incredibly special day for all of our fans and for the Blue Jays organization,” said team president Mark Shapiro. “It’s really a historic moment.”
The deal is the most lucrative in team history, far surpassing the $150-million, six-year deal that outfielder George Springer signed as a free agent in January 2021.
Guerrero is in the final year of his current contract that pays him $28.5 million. Without an extension, the four-time all-star could have hit free agency this fall.
“I believed passionately that Vlad wanted to be here and we wanted him here,” said Blue Jays chair Edward Rogers. “I believed it would get done. A deal of this size takes time. We had the right people on it.”
As part of the extension, Guerrero received a record $325-million signing bonus payable in 15 instalments from 2025-39, according to contract details obtained by The Associated Press.
The Blue Jays last won the Fall Classic in 1993. They reached the wild-card round in three of the last five seasons but haven’t won a post-season game since 2016.
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Toronto is coming off a last-place finish in the American League East. The Blue Jays, who started the day on top of the division standings at 9-7, were scheduled to host the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.
Former Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos signed Guerrero as a 16-year-old in July 2015.
Guerrero’s $35.71-million average annual value under the new deal ranks eighth among current contracts. Ohtani ($70 million) leads the way in AAV with Soto ($51 million) behind him.
Guerrero hit .311 with 48 homers and 111 RBIs in 2021 to finish second in AL MVP voting behind Ohtani, then with the Los Angeles Angels.
Entering play against the Braves, Guerrero was still looking for his first homer of the year. He had a .302 average with seven RBIs over 16 games.
The two-time Silver Slugger was named All-Star Game MVP in 2021, won a Gold Glove in 2022, and was a Home Run Derby champion in 2023.
