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Looking at other extension candidates on the Blue Jays following Guerrero’s long-term deal
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Photo credit: © Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Veronica Chung
Apr 8, 2025, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 8, 2025, 07:49 EDT
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The cat’s out of the bag – Montreal’s own Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has agreed to a 14-year, $500-million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays (pending a physical) to kick off the week, and all is right in the Blue Jays’ world.
With the fanfare still on hold until the deal is officially in writing, the question now for Toronto’s front office is which other young players they can consider extending. 

Bo Bichette

The obvious extension target now is All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette, with Guerrero Jr. locked up north of the border for more than a decade. Bichette is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season, and so far, neither the Blue Jays nor Bichette have discussed potential extensions extensively. Logically speaking, locking down both Guerrero Jr. and Bichette would secure the Blue Jays’ future for years to come. The only problem is that Toronto may not be able to afford both with their payroll already pushing $200 million heading into 2026 per Cot’s Contracts.
According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Chris Bassitt, Yimi Garcia, Kevin Gausman, Chad Green, Max Scherzer, George Springer, Myles Straw, and Bichette can all depart for free agency over the next two years, which would account for approximately $120 million AAV, which could free up some budget on paper. The unfortunate part of this payroll calculation is that Bichette’s value is still up in the air after a dismal 2024 season, but he is going to command a strong return if he heads to the open market. 
Bichette will inevitably want his value to go up as he ages and racks up stats in his favour. While the 2024 season may not have been kind to him, he has a career slash line of .290/.332/.464, which is similar to Guerrero Jr.’s career slash line of .287/.362/.498, more or less. In other words, the Florida native could be asking in the ballpark of $25-30 million a year, potentially more, considering he plays a premium position. His contract most likely won’t exceed the $35 million per year mark either, but that’s still a sizable contract Toronto will have to invest in if they so choose.  
Bichette’s future contract may be comparable to Trea Turner’s 11-year, $300-million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies and Corey Seager’s 10-year, $325-million deal with the Texas Rangers. With this type of expectation, a player like Bichette will be harder to lock down because his value is tremendous, considering he can hit for both contact and power despite having some defense flaws at times. After all, the 27-year-old is still a very talented player and is hitting the market with prime years still ahead of him, and there will always be a market for these types of young players. 
If Toronto relies on its values-based assessment, it will let Bichette test his free agency because the team already has infielders like Addison Barger, Ernice Clement, Andrés Giménez, Leo Jiménez, Orelvis Martinez, Davis Schneider and Will Wagner. Simply put, locking down Bichette will be a nice bonus if the Blue Jays’ front office has the wiggle room to lock him down and continue spending after he is on the books. 

Daulton Varsho

Gold-Glove winning Daulton Varsho would be the best extension candidate Toronto will have to consider, given his defensive value and potential offensive upside. A defensively talented outfielder is difficult to come by, and having Varsho in the outfield long-term will help the Blue Jays solidify their defence and bring much-needed stability. However, Varsho’s agent is Scott Boras, which signifies that an extension will be even harder based on Boras’s track record with his clients and his trying to get the most from the market.
That’s not to say it is impossible, but Toronto is indeed interested in locking down something long-term with the left-handed batter. A career 15.1 bWAR, with most of that value coming from his fielding ability and 81 DRS across the outfield, Varsho is a key part of the lineup for the Blue Jays, especially when his power bat is in full swing (20 and 18 home runs in 2023 and 2024, respectively). Finding more contact would go a long way under new hitting coach David Popkins, as his slash line as a Blue Jay sits at a meager .225/.297/.414 mark with a .711 OPS.
The biggest takeaway from the extension talks is the Blue Jays’ aging roster. Toronto has a few up-and-coming talents pounding on the door, but not a lot are coming from the pitching side. Extending core players is still a priority for a secure future, but finding ways to develop more competent talents is equally crucial as Toronto’s payroll becomes more bloated. There needs to be a balance between homegrown talents and expensive free agents. That’s something Toronto will have to figure out as they go. 
Aside from Bichette, there aren’t many potential extension candidates on Toronto’s roster currently. Catcher Alejandro Kirk and Guerrero Jr. have both signed extensions recently, and starting pitcher José Berríos is locked with the team through 2029, barring him opting out following the 2026 season. Andrés Giménez is also under contract through 2029 with a club option for 2030, Yariel Rodriguez through 2028, and Anthony Santader is on the books until 2031 unless he opts out after the 2027 season (or the Jays pick up the additional sixth year). 

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