The Toronto Blue Jays missed the deadline to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a massive contract extension this offseason and it didn’t appear as though the two sides were close on a deal.
Now, with Guerrero headed for free agency, the Blue Jays will have two outcomes. They will either land Guerrero on a huge contract in the range of $500 million or they’ll have a lot of money to spend on other free agents.
Austin Owens of FanSided recently suggested the Blue Jays could use their “Vladimir Guerrero Jr. money” to sign Philadelphia Phillies free agent J.T. Realmuto next offseason.
“They (the Phillies) currently have a very talented roster that could easily compete for a World Series title,” Owens wrote. “However, their core of Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and J.T. Realmuto is slowly getting up in age and a couple of their contracts are about to expire. Schwarber and Realmuto are both set to become free agents at the end of 2025 and really both could be options for the Blue Jays but Realmuto’s leadership at a position that is hard to come by would be hard to pass up.
“While adding Realmuto would knock fan-favorite Alejandro Kirk down on the depth chart, it would undoubtedly make the Blue Jays a better team and would be well within budget if they are not paying Guerrero.”
If Toronto loses out on Guerrero, it could be the favorite to land any of the top star free agents, including Realmuto.
The star catcher is likely headed out of Philadelphia as the Phillies are struggling a bit with their money.
He would be a tremendous fit for Toronto. While he may be past his best years, adding a catcher with his talent and the ability to post over a 100 OPS+ would be invaluable for Toronto.
