MLB analyst Jake Storiale draws parallels between Aaron Judge’s contract negotiations with the Yankees and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s current situation with the Blue Jays. Guerrero Jr. has paused extension talks after the Blue Jays failed to meet his terms, leaving the door open for free agency. This mirrors Judge’s path to a historic season and a lucrative free-agent deal.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Toronto Blue Jays’ first baseman, has paused contract extension talks with the team after they failed to agree on terms that would have likely kept him from hitting free agency after the 2025 season. MLB analyst Jake Storiale, known as Talkin’ Jake, sees similarities between Guerrero’s situation and Aaron Judge’s negotiations with the New York Yankees before he became a free agent in 2022.
Comparing the Situations
Before the 2022 season, the Yankees offered Judge a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension. Judge declined, went on to break the AL home run record with 62 home runs, and ultimately signed a nine-year, $360 million deal in free agency. Storiale highlighted this on his podcast, noting, “The Yankees said, ‘We offered him $227 million or something like that.’ They said it so confidently, like, ‘How could a guy turn down this money?’ He went out, broke the home run record, and ended up getting a lot more money.”
Guerrero Jr.’s Stance
Guerrero Jr. recently stated that no middle ground was found in his extension talks with the Blue Jays, implying that the team will now have to compete with other suitors in free agency. “We didn’t get to an agreement and now they’re going to have to compete with 29 other teams,” Guerrero Jr. told reporters. Blue Jays CEO Mark Shapiro expressed disappointment, noting, “We’re disappointed that we couldn’t get a deal done.”
