Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reveals final counteroffer to Blue Jays was ‘much less’ than Juan Soto’s deal with Mets

Contract offers and the numbers thrown out in negotiations are usually tightly held state secrets. But apparently, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. believes otherwise.

In an interview with ESPN’s Enrique Rojas and Ernesto Jerez, the first baseman revealed that the last contract extension proposal from the Toronto Blue Jays and the final counteroffer Guerroro’s representatives presented to the team was significantly lower than the 15-year, $765 million deal Juan Soto signed with the Mets this offseason.

“It’s much less than Soto,” Guerrero told ESPN. “We’re talking about many fewer millions than Soto, more than a hundred million less. … It was the same number of years [as Soto’s contract], but it didn’t reach [$600 million]. The last number we gave them as a counteroffer didn’t reach 600.”

He added: “I know the business. I lowered the salary demands a bit, but I also lowered the number of years … I’m looking for 14 [years]. I would like 14, 15, even 20 if they give them to me, but doing it the right way.”

The negotiations took place ahead of Guerrero’s self-imposed deadline for an extension at the start of spring training, which means the 25-year-old will now hit free agency after this season as he shifts his focus to the 2025 season with the Blue Jays, his seventh in the big leagues.

“There was an exchange [of salary figures],” he told ESPN. “The meetings lasted until the last day of the deadline but they [Toronto and Guerrero’s agents] couldn’t reach an agreement on the numbers. But as I’ve always said, just because we couldn’t reach an agreement, I’m not going to change the way I work. I have to keep working.”

Guerrero was asked in mid-February if a deal ever was close, and he said “no.”

“They had their numbers,” Guerrero said at the time. “I had my numbers.”

He added: “We didn’t get an agreement. Now, they’re going to have to compete with 29 other teams.”

This, of course, leaves open the possibility for the slugger to come to Queens.

Before the Mets inked first baseman Pete Alonso to a deal that included an opt-out after the 2025 season, the club engaged with Toronto on trade talks for Guerrero, SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reported during the offseason.

“He’s a great ballplayer,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said in February when asked about Guerrero. “Once again, I’ll worry about that next year. Obviously with payroll considerations — you really can’t have, you can’t have too many long-term contracts because then you lose your roster flexibility. So you gotta be really careful. But I’ll let my baseball people make that decision.”

Guerrero is coming off one of the best years of his young career after he smacked 30 home runs and 44 doubles (a career-high) with 103 RBI and a .323/.396/.544 slash line for a .940 OPS (166 OPS+ and 165 wRC+) in 2024.