Vladimir Guerrero Jr. turned down half a billion {dollars}* from the Toronto Blue Jays. You possibly can in all probability guess what that asterisk means at this level.
In response to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Guerrero rejected an extension provide in extra of $500 million from the Blue Jays, however with sufficient deferred cash to decrease the present-day worth to between $400 million and $450 million. Guerrero reportedly signaled he was keen to just accept deferrals, however provided that the contract worth was nonetheless $500 million.
Such a contract would have possible seen Guerrero surpass the entire cash of Shohei Ohtani‘s groundbreaking $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, calculated to be value about $460 million in present-day cash from when it was signed.
Nevertheless, it could have been properly in need of Juan Soto’s unimaginable 15-year, $765 million deal, which accommodates no deferred cash and will in truth have a worth north of $800 million if sure escalators are met.
Guerrero shut down contract talks with the Blue Jays in the beginning of spring coaching, a self-imposed deadline to lock down the primary baseman a season earlier than he hits what is certain to be a profitable free company. The 25-year-old, who turns 26 on Sunday, advised ESPN final week that he was negotiating for a contract size much like Soto’s deal, however not for a similar cash.
“It is a lot lower than Soto. We’re speaking about many fewer thousands and thousands than Soto, greater than 100 million much less. … It was the identical variety of years [as Soto’s contract], nevertheless it did not attain [$600 million]. The final quantity we gave them as a counteroffer did not attain 600,” Guerrero stated.
“I do know the enterprise. I lowered the wage calls for a bit, however I additionally lowered the variety of years. … I am on the lookout for 14 [years]. I would love 14, 15, even 20 if they offer them to me, however doing it the fitting means.”
Guerrero is the consensus high free agent in subsequent winter’s class, together with Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker and San Diego Padres beginning pitcher Dylan Stop.
Merely put, Guerrero hasn’t been as constant a star as another mega-contract gamers. Going off OPS+, which normalizes for park and period, 4 of his six seasons in Toronto have been worse than Soto’s career-worst mark of 142 in 2018, which was his rookie 12 months. Similar with Aaron Choose, who hasn’t gone beneath 143 since his first season. Mike Trout was thought-about to be within the nadir of his profession as a result of he was at 132 in 2023.
Nevertheless, Guerrero nonetheless has one of many highest offensive ceilings in baseball and will probably be hitting free company at roughly the identical age as Soto, and nothing is as necessary as age in free company.
Deferred cash is quick changing into the norm for mega-contracts in MLB, with a progenitor in Bobby Bonilla, a pioneer in Max Scherzer and a perfecter in Ohtani, who took the thought into overdrive by deferring 97% of the cash in his deal. Groups like it as a result of it retains their CBT payroll down, permitting them to keep away from luxurious tax funds, and gamers typically do not thoughts it as a result of they’re nonetheless getting the cash they ask for and infrequently have it offset through a signing bonus.
The Dodgers used the system repeatedly over the offseason, however so did different groups. That is going to proceed till MLB sees an issue with it.
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