BOSTON -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the face of the Blue Jays. After agreeing to terms on a 14-year, $500 million extension, according to a source, it might be that way forever.
Soon, we¡¯ll hear from Guerrero about what this moment means to him, his family and the legacy he hopes to build in Toronto.
First, let¡¯s hear from the people closest to him, the people who share the clubhouse with him each day and have watched everything that goes into this moment:
Bo Bichette (teammate since 2017 in Single-A Lansing):
¡°I knew it was coming for the last few days, but I¡¯m proud of him. I¡¯m excited for him. That¡¯s what we work so hard for.
¡°I know it¡¯s important to him to be with this team for a long time. I know it¡¯s important for the organization as well, but just to see him get what he wanted and to be happy, it¡¯s special for everybody in the clubhouse.¡±
So is the next dinner on Vladdy?
¡°Yeah. All of them.¡±
George Springer, previous owner of the biggest contract in Blue Jays history (6 years, $150 million):
¡°This is exciting. It shows the organization¡¯s commitment to not only him as a player, but the organization¡¯s commitment to the team, the city and the country. I feel like this is a very exciting day for Blue Jays fans as a whole, to have a guy like Vladdy who will be here for what looks like and sounds like his whole career. I wholeheartedly believe his name will be hanging up in the stadium one day.
¡°He¡¯s still only 26, which is crazy. I don¡¯t want to say he¡¯s more mature, but he¡¯s extra mature for his age, not only as a player, but as a person. He¡¯s a great human being. He¡¯s such a fun guy to be around and so humble. I¡¯m so happy for him.¡±
Springer nearly rung Vladdy¡¯s bell in the top of the third inning of Monday's 6-2 win at Fenway Park, though, when he ripped a line drive past third base with Guerrero standing a few feet off the bag. Thankfully, Guerrero ducked beneath the ball, lived to tell the tale and suggested Springer hit the ball fair next time. He soon did, scoring Guerrero for the second run of the game.
Andr¨¦s Gim¨¦nez, new teammate but longtime competitor of Guerrero:
¡°This means a lot. It makes everyone happy. It¡¯s special for me. It¡¯s been a long road for us. We used to do tryouts together back in 2015. To see how everything goes over a 10-year span is crazy. Playing with him is amazing.¡±
Gim¨¦nez travelled to the Dominican Republic often in 2014-15 as the two were just teenagers, showcasing their talent for MLB teams. They competed throughout the Minor Leagues, too, criss-crossing their careers. So is Vladdy any different than he was as a 14-year-old?
¡°No. He¡¯s the same guy. He¡¯s just rich now.¡±
Max Scherzer, 18-year MLB veteran:
¡°Wow. It¡¯s awesome. As a teammate, it¡¯s great, especially for the organization. You just solidified your organization and you know who¡¯s playing first for the next 14 years. That solves so many different pieces through the course of this year, next year and the years to follow. That provides a lot of clarity for the team. It forces the window to be open. You don¡¯t sign him like that unless you think you¡¯re going to win. That¡¯s the good news for Blue Jays fans. Ownership wants to win and they¡¯re committing the dollars to the players they want to do it with.¡±
Scherzer has been around and faced this generation¡¯s best hitters. What does he see, then, in Guerrero that makes him worth this contract?
¡°His prime is still in front of him. He can still get better. He can still evolve and push his highs even higher. That¡¯s one thing I always say to guys coming through over the years. You are not a finished product. Just because you¡¯re in year five or year six, no, there are still iterations of you to keep evolving, keep getting better. At 26, you should be better by 32. You should be able to do more things and understand the game better by 32.
¡°I¡¯ve played with some of the best players ever, especially Miguel Cabrera. I watched him get better. I watched him win an MVP and come back better. I always hold people to a high standard. I don¡¯t care how good you are. Get better. I¡¯ve played with the best and watched them get better.¡±
Jos¨¦ Berr¨ªos, teammate since 2021:
¡°I¡¯m happy. I¡¯m excited. I know he is, too, but for me, the first day I got here, I saw his personality and his talent. He¡¯s amazing. He¡¯s a special talent. I think he was born to play this game. Now he has that blessing, 14 years and that amount of money. He is secure for his family and his children¡¯s family, too. I am happy for him.
¡°I know that I have this year and three more, I think, so hopefully I can extend my career here to keep playing beside him and try to bring a trophy to Toronto.¡±
Jeff Hoffman, the Blue Jays¡¯ new closer:
¡°Just in the brief time I¡¯ve known him, he stood out to me right away for the type of person, the type of talent he is. The game rewards guys like that, especially when he does it at such a young age and has that immediate impact. He¡¯s the face of the franchise, or one of the faces of the franchise. This is awesome for him and awesome for his family.
¡°The fact that they have been in on all of these high-level free agents every year, that says a lot. Even if you don¡¯t get them, it says a lot about where your priorities are at. I feel good about playing for management and ownership that¡¯s like that.¡±
Bowden Francis, teammate since 2022:
¡°It¡¯s just special. This is something players dream of, to hear numbers like that. For him to take care of his family and for the organization to believe in him like that, it¡¯s warming.
¡°It¡¯s an honor for them to do that contract like that. For our organization to put him on the front line and build the team around him, it¡¯s pretty special.¡±
Francis got to an important point here. There¡¯s a big difference between being the best player on the roster and the face of the franchise.
¡°With a contract like that, you¡¯re not just paying for the field, you¡¯re paying for off the field, paying for someone to take control of the team for the next decade, to hold the clubhouse and create a culture. This is going to be his domain. He¡¯s going to pave the way for the young guys coming up for the next 14 years.¡±
John Schneider, manager and coach since 2017:
Building off what Francis spoke about, Schneider acknowledged the heightened level of responsibility that now rests on Vladdy. The two have grown close over the past decade, not only as competitors, but as people. Schneider has watched Guerrero grow from a teenager into a man, a father and a big league star. Now, he¡¯ll be there as Guerrero steps into a different world entirely.
¡°There are certain responsibilities that come with it. There are certain things that you hope rub off on people in the organization, not just here, but throughout. It¡¯s different. It comes with a lot of ... stuff. When you¡¯re trying to be connected to a guy for a long time, you have to put that into the equation, too. It¡¯s one thing to go out and perform. Expectations come from that, then there are expectations -- whether you like it or not -- that you¡¯ll have to be a voice, be a face and set an example.¡±
Alex Cora, Red Sox manager:
¡°If it¡¯s true, great for him. He had a whole country behind that contract. I think it¡¯s good for the franchise. It¡¯s good for baseball. The guy¡¯s also unique in what he does, and he enjoys the game. You've seen him play, and he's amazing. Yeah, if it happens, good for him.¡±