Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is living life well.
He got his $500 million contract and didn’t have to leave the Toronto Blue Jays to land the big payday.
Guerrero officially signed the 14-year package on Monday that keeps him under contract with Toronto through the 2039 season. The deal was agreed to last week.
“I would think about this, always,” Guerrero said. “Thank God we did it and I’m going to be a Blue Jay forever.”
Guerrero originally signed with the Blue Jays at age 16 in 2015 and stardom was forecasted.
The 26-year-old Guerrero is a four-time All-Star and was runner-up for American League MVP honors in 2021 when he batted .311 with career bests of 48 homers and 111 RBIs. He would have won the award if it wasn’t for then-Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani excelling as both a hitter and a pitcher.
Guerrero was eligible to become a free agent after this season but was always hopeful a deal would get done.
“I’ve been with this organization since 2015. It’s 10 years,” Guerrero said. “This organization is part of my family.”
Guerrero, who was born in Montreal, is beloved in Toronto — and many other parts of Canada. The thought of him being a lifetime Blue Jay was prominently on the mind of team president Mark Shapiro.
“Vlad … you join a group of people like Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter, who not only have had incredible playing careers, but a chance to do that in one uniform, in one place,” Shapiro said. “Such a special opportunity for you and all of our fans and for this organization.”
Toronto chairman Edward Rogers said locking up Guerrero is part of the plan to have the Blue Jays be consistent winners.
“We’re committed to winning. Toronto deserves a first-class team,” Rogers said. “We want to win the World Series. I believe we’re going to win the World Series, and today signing this deal we’ve increased our chances.”
It was a popular signing for the fans and also for the man who grabbed the pen and signed his name.
“When the country gives you love, you’ve got to give love back,” Guerrero said of Canada. “And that’s what I’m doing right now.”
Guerrero hasn’t homered in 63 at-bats this season and is batting .302 with seven RBIs in 16 games. Overall, he has a .288 average, 160 homers, 181 doubles and 514 RBIs in 835 games over seven seasons with Toronto.
Stellar hitting is part of the family as Guerrero’s father, also named Vladimir, was the 2004 American League MVP for the then-Anaheim Angels and is a member of the Hall of Fame. Vladimir Sr. began his career with the Montreal Expos and played eight seasons (1996-2003) with the franchise.
–Field Level Media
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