If you haven’t heard the news lately (or live under a rock), the Toronto Blue Jays and star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. couldn’t find common ground on an extension this past offseason. The slugger had a number in mind heading into the spring, and the Jays’ front office wasn’t able to hit that valuation.

For the past few weeks, nobody knew the values between the two camps other than some rumoured speculation from analysts alike and wild guesses on social media that had everyone scratching their heads. Then the shoe dropped yesterday, with New York Posts’ Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman reporting that the Jays made an offer to Guerrero Jr. worth $500 million with deferrals – making the present day value around $400-450 million – while The Athletic Ken Rosenthal reporting that Guerrero was looking for at least $500 million. Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi later added that the two sides were roughly $50 million apart at the end of the day in terms of at least a 14-year contract, so call it ~$3.5 million and some change.

Essentially, another viewpoint to add to the pile of distractions that have littered spring training for the past few weeks – and the worst is likely still to come.

This particular leak is interesting, mostly because the Blue Jays are tight-lipped when it comes to any outside noise – remember how nobody knew they were signing Jeff Hoffman until it was pretty much official? Toronto keeps things under wraps for the most part, so one would think the leak might be from the player’s camp more than anything. Or, at least that is what the Jays maybe want you to think. Another question that will likely remain unanswered this spring.

What this recent news continues to do is spin the narrative that will surround the Blue Jays all season long: where will Guerrero Jr. end up this winter? Will the team trade their four-time All-Star? This and many other narratives and questions from journalists alike will arise each time the Jays touch down in a new city.

For the most part, these shenanigans are a result of both parties. Both the team and the player are to blame for the fallout that happens.

On the Blue Jays side, the club could have easily covered the $50 million gap if they desperately wanted to keep Guerrero around for the long term. Rogers Communications coffers would have taken a hit and the $500 million for Guerrero may come back to bite the club down the line but overall, the payoff today outweighs the fallout of tomorrow. Especially considering the chances of Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins being around in 14 years is slim to none.

The Blue Jays have limited contract stability outside of a handful of players following the 2026 season, and signing Guerrero to a long-term deal rights the ship. It provides a face for the franchise and a selling point for future players and free agents to take their talents North of the border and Atkins and co. are potentially letting him walk for the price of a middle reliever each season. It makes zero sense for a fanbase that is already tired of missing out on players (Ohtani, Soto, Burnes, etc.) and letting Guerrero walk would be just another name on the shame wall, especially if he signs within the division.

Understandably, handing out a $500 million contract after the 2022 and 2023 seasons would have been outlandish – remember, this was the period of time when Bichette surpassed Guerrero on the ‘who should the Jays sign long-term’ voter cards. But the back half of the 2024 season reminded everyone what the Montreal product is capable of with a bat in his hands and the Blue Jays stuck to their guns and didn’t waiver, and now we have to listen to reporters ask similar questions to Guerrero all season long with various city related twists.

For the record, this also falls on Guerrero to some degree – he is not immune to the criticism.

First off, for a player that continues to claim that he ‘wants to be a Blue Jay for life’, setting a hard deadline and continuing to address the media about these contract questions keeps the distractions in play. Sure, he’s not going to go full Marshawn Lynch and just shut down each reporter who brings up the topic but his answers so far continue to drive a narrative that Guerrero appeared destined for free agency all along. That the allure of the open market wasn’t going to keep him in Toronto after all.

Which is fine if that is the case – you as a player have earned that right if you see fit, to hit free agency and monetarily capitalize on your talents. However, continuing to drive the narrative that you love playing in Toronto and love the city while continuing to tell reporters that they didn’t hit your value and that 29 other teams will be able to speak with you this winter screams other intentions, a fallacy for Jays fans that thought there was a chance to see him in Toronto for the next decade and more, a creates a distraction for not just yourself, but your teammates as well.

How many times do you think Kevin Gausman is going to be asked about Guerrero this season? Or Bichette, who is in a similar position? It’s not fair to your teammates to drag them into this mess, especially since a $450 million offer seems pretty fair for a slugging first baseman who hasn’t found a lick of consistency in the batter’s box dating back to 2021.

Overall, these distractions are the fallout from the failed contract negotiations and they are just getting started – especially when the Jays visit teams like the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees – with media that will pepper the slugger with similar questions.

The best way to quell this narrative? Head back to the table and hammer out a deal. Meet in the middle, add some incentives, whatever needs to be done. Somebody is going to have to budge and take a hit to their pride but at the end of the day, the Blue Jays are a better team when Guerrero is donning their jersey. And the risk of having him donning a Red Sox jersey next season and beyond is worth making up the contract difference if I am the Blue Jays organization.