Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is prepared to enter MLB free agency after the 2025 World Series. Not reaching a contract extension with Toronto this offseason, Guerrero is entering the final year of his deal that will pay him $28.5 million this season. Despite the stated desire of both sides to continue their partnership longterm, Guerrero said the Blue Jays did not come close to offering the contract he was seeking (via ESPN’s Jeff Passan). Reports have since speculated what that number is.

After finishing sixth in American League MVP voting last season, Guerrero is said to be seeking a contract only two other players have exceeded.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) © Brett Davis-Imagn Images © Brett Davis-Imagn Images During a Bleacher Report stream on Feb. 26, Jon Heyman of the New York Post said the likely number for Guerrero at this stage is $600 million. “At this point with Soto at $765 million, I think it’s probably gonna have to be in the sixes to sign [Guerrero],” Heyman said. “I think probably $600 million, plus.”

As Heyman noted on this stream, $600 million for a first baseman would be unprecedented. While Guerrero has appeared in 110 career games at third base, it was announced on Wednesday that the Blue Jays have decided not to utilize his defensive versatility much in 2025.

Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, any Guerrero appearances at third base this season will likely be reserved for late-game scenarios, with the team deciding its lineup works best with him primarily at first.

Debuting as a third baseman for Toronto in 2019, Guerrero has played 928.1 MLB innings at the hot corner. Comparatively, Guerrero has spent 4,653 innings at first base where he won a Gold Glove Award in 2022.

Despite Guerrero’s reported contract desire historically being reserved for more premier defensive positions, the Blue Jays have decided to keep him at first.