Here's where things stand with Vlad Jr.'s extension talks

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- There are no more days to count down. It¡¯s all hours, minutes and seconds now.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays stand on the doorstep of the star¡¯s deadline, and if the two sides can¡¯t come to an agreement on an extension by the time Vladdy steps out of his car and strolls into the clubhouse Tuesday morning, this conversation will hang over the Blue Jays all season long.

It already is -- quite literally -- in the clubhouse. A half-dozen times already in the first week of camp, the televisions that hang high above the Blue Jays¡¯ massive, oval-shaped clubhouse have played the Guerrero headlines on MLB Network. Everyone understands the weight of the hours ahead, even if no one wants to say it out loud.

¡°I¡¯m just excited to see him tomorrow in camp,¡± said manager John Schneider, who added that he and Guerrero have not discussed the contract topic lately. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to this season with him. Hopefully, this gets done. This is the business part of it. We¡¯re both hoping for the same outcome, I think, but first and foremost, I¡¯m just excited to get him in around the guys tomorrow.¡±

Guerrero¡¯s locker still sits in the corner of the clubhouse, waiting for him. Between he and Bo Bichette¡¯s locker sits an empty one, a little extra space for the two young stars this organization has built itself around for years. Bichette¡¯s half of the extra real estate is filled, but the other half still waits for Guerrero. It feels like this entire camp is on pause until Guerrero speaks on Tuesday.

The Blue Jays, as you¡¯d expect, aren¡¯t saying a thing.

¡°We are very excited that he¡¯s here for this year, and Vlad has been incredible for this organization,¡± general manager Ross Atkins told MLB Network recently. ¡°He¡¯s an incredible teammate and person with the best smile in the game and he¡¯s one of the best hitters in the game. Our desire is there. We¡¯re going to work tirelessly to keep him here.¡±

Vladdy, on the other hand, has been counting down. Each day this week, on Guerrero¡¯s Instagram stories, there¡¯s another tick off the clock ¡­ 3 ¡­ 2 ¡­ 1 ¡­

On Monday morning -- with another picture of the gym where Guerrero is preparing for the season with his trainer, Nicole Gabriel -- there was only a small picture of a clock. It¡¯s almost time for that buzzer to ring, and while Monday has been circled as the deadline, there's still another night until Guerrero speaks Tuesday. By then, it will be time to watch the storm clouds roll in or pop the champagne for mimosas.

What we do know at this point is that Guerrero wants to spend his career in Toronto. He¡¯s been direct about this for well over a year now, and while the Blue Jays want the same, none of that truly matters to a negotiation. All that matters is finding a number both sides are comfortable with, and if there¡¯s a resolution, it¡¯s expected to go down to the wire.

Players and coaches -- who have the fortune of being separated from the money, the valuations and the negotiations themselves -- simply love Guerrero and want him to stay.

¡°Obviously, it¡¯s going to be a big deal for us, as a player and a teammate, keeping him on this team for many more years,¡± said Jos¨¦ Berr¨ªos earlier in camp. ¡°Also, Toronto Blue Jays fans love him. They want him on the team. We¡¯re just still waiting. I know they had conversations. Hopefully, we can end the way we want this, keeping him on the team for many years.¡±

Bichette, after sharing that he and the Blue Jays ¡°haven¡¯t had any talks,¡± once again expressed his desire to keep playing with Guerrero.

¡°Vladdy is one of my best friends. We¡¯ve had tons of conversations like that,¡± Bichette said. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about playing together forever since he was 18 and I was 19. That¡¯s still a goal of ours.¡±

Perhaps the conversations with Bichette change if the Blue Jays are able to extend Vladdy. Frankly, every conversation around this organization for the next decade could change if that happens. Guerrero has long been the center of the Blue Jays¡¯ universe. Keeping him there may be the single biggest task this front office has faced, and the clock is almost done ticking.