Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Avoid Arbitration
The Toronto Blue Jays and their star slugger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., have successfully avoided arbitration for the upcoming season. The Blue Jays announced on Thursday that they have reached one-year contracts with all seven of their arbitration-eligible players, with Guerrero’s deal set at $28.5 million US.
Along with Guerrero, the Blue Jays also finalized contracts with infielder Ernie Clement ($1.975M), catcher Alejandro Kirk ($4.6M), outfielder Daulton Varsho ($8.2M), and right-handed pitchers Alek Manoah ($2.2M), Zach Pop ($900K), and Nick Sandlin ($1.63M).
Arbitration-eligible players and teams were scheduled to exchange proposed figures on Thursday, but the Blue Jays were able to settle agreements with all of their players before the deadline.
Guerrero had an outstanding season in 2024, hitting .323 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. He earned his fourth all-star selection and received the Silver Slugger Award for his impressive performance. Despite the Blue Jays’ struggles last season, Guerrero managed to finish sixth in the American League MVP voting.
As Guerrero enters his final season under team control in 2025, the Blue Jays are looking to build on his success and improve upon their last-place finish in the AL East in 2024.
Last winter, Guerrero won his arbitration case against the Blue Jays, earning $19.9 million. This year, he secured a $28.5 million deal, showcasing his value to the team.
Notably, Juan Soto set a record for arbitration-eligible players last year with a $31 million deal with the New York Yankees. Soto recently signed a record-breaking $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets after becoming a free agent.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
With the majority of arbitration-eligible players expected to reach agreements, the focus now shifts to the upcoming season. The Blue Jays are set to open their 2025 campaign on March 27 against the Baltimore Orioles at home.
Guerrero, who made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays in 2019, has quickly established himself as a key player for the team. His versatility on the field and impressive offensive numbers make him a valuable asset for Toronto.
As the Blue Jays prepare for the upcoming season, Guerrero’s presence in the lineup will be crucial to their success. Fans are eager to see what the star slugger can achieve in his final year under team control.
