ESPN: Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays appear vulnerable given the New York bidding battle for top batsmen in the united states.

If Vladimir Guerrero Jr. becomes a free agent, the New York Yankees and New York Mets ought to be interested in him, but what about the Blue Jays?

With the wrong person, the Toronto Blue Jays are playing chicken. A year from now, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will have the opportunity to make as much money on the open market as Juan Soto, if he so chooses.

Fortunately for Toronto, Guerrero Jr. seems willing to negotiate a contract extension prior to that. According to Vladdy, who spoke with the Blue Jays front office about the extension, he is “ready to go” on a long-term contract. I wish it were that easy. As usual, the main obstacle between the two sides will be money. Given that Soto recently inked a $765 million contract, Guerrero Jr.’s representatives probably believe he should receive a $500 million agreement.

After all, Vlad Jr. is only 25 years old and just finished with 6.4 WAR. He is among baseball’s top batsmen and would be well-known throughout the United States if he were to appear in a conventional American media market.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may face a bidding war in New York.
The impending fight for Guerrero Jr. may become rather fierce and painful for Toronto if the Blue Jays executive management makes a mistake, which is not a crazy assumption given Ross Atkins is in charge. As usual, the New York Yankees and New York Mets are expected to be participating.

Guerrero Jr.’s primary positions are first base and third base, both of which require a long-term answer for the Yankees. The Bronx Bombers have money to spend after losing out on Soto, and they should be able to buy Vlad Jr. next winter.

Steve Cohen has a limitless amount of money for the Mets. Is he prepared to shell out over $1 billion for two players? It wouldn’t be surprising to me. In addition to being friends, Soto and Guerrero Jr. would have been teammates on the Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic squad had Guerrero not been injured.

To be honest, it seems far more plausible that a bidding battle will take place in New York than that Guerrero Jr. would sign an extension before going on the free market. If he stayed in Toronto, he would be leaving millions on the table. This winter marks the beginning of the Blue Jays’ difficult journey to retain their star.