After months of speculation and self-imposed deadlines coming and going, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays finally have the Jeff Passan stamp of approval on social media. While it was the likes of Mike Rodriguez who first got the narrative going a couple of days ago, the more influential types like Passan and Ken Rosenthal weren’t jumping on board at the time but gave credit where it was due. Considering Passan sets the standard when it comes to contract signings and trades being announced, one can see why Jays fans have been skeptical over the past winter.

When the dust finally settled, Guerrero and the Blue Jays appeared to agree on a 14-year deal worth $500 million. This mega-deal contract extension reportedly carries no deferrals and ranks as one of the top contracts in baseball history, trailing only Juan Soto in terms of guaranteed money.

The Blue Jays have been chasing mega stars over the past couple of seasons but have yet to find a dance partner on a long-term deal – Shohei Ohtani, Corbin Burnes, Juan Soto – all of them entertaining Toronto but decide on signing elsewhere. That’s the way free agency goes – there is no guarantee where a player can end up when push comes to shove.

Toronto and Guerrero have been hammering away at this contract extension for some time, and the last reported figures saw Toronto sitting between $400-$450 million in present-day value and a $500 million contract with deferrals. Ross Atkins and co. continued to negotiate with the player’s agent, and all along, Guerrero said he had a figure in mind that he was hoping the Jays would hit. It appears both sides have either found a middle ground, or the Jays finally hit his number.

Having Guerrero on the books for the long-term is a win on many levels, whether you agree on the dollar amount or not. The Jays are a better team with Guerrero on it, even amidst his slow start to the 2025 season, and the outcomes of free agency could have been detrimental for the franchise had he signed for a similar dollar figure but stayed close by. The Rogers Centre would have likely been burned to the ground had he signed a long-term deal with the likes of the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees.

This contract keeps him around for the long term, helping set the direction of where this franchise is going while also dropping the external noise that comes with contract extensions of this nature.

Right from the get-go, there were rumours related to potential trade options and partners, and journalists were throwing jello at the wall when it came to Guerrero and (insert team name here) for free agency destinations, looking to see what sticks. There were even betting odds on which team he could land with this offseason.

The slugger wasn’t helping the cause, speaking to numerous reporters and outlining the potential for free agency in a move that seemed like the first baseman wanted to test the waters. Whether that was a decoy to help with contract negotiations or just a genuine discussion based on the questions, it wasn’t helping squash the narratives of ‘what could happen’ later down the line.

While the deal is still pending a physical, the Blue Jays’ fan base can finally breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to keeping some form of the core around for the foreseeable future. That’s not so much a knock on Alejandro Kirk or Andrés Giménez, but the Jays needed a leader of the franchise and someone to build this team around, and they found it in Guerrero.

There are quite a few positives to be generated from this type of deal, and while the Jays front office had to reach record territory to get it done, the possible outcomes of him signing elsewhere and haunting the Blue Jays franchise for years is worth the years and dollar amount at the end of the day.