The Toronto Blue Jays were unable to reach an agreement with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to extend his contract. He will be a free agent next winter, and considering the Blue Jays’ track record with superstars in free agency, the team may explore dealing him before he departs for nothing. Guerrero has one year of control, as did Juan Soto when he was transferred to the New York Yankees.
In exchange for Soto and Trent Grisham, the San Diego Padres acquired six players. FanSided’s Matthew Sookram proposed the following trade, which would fetch the Blue Jays a comparable return and assist hasten their rebuild: Blue Jays acquire shortstop Jett Williams (MLB No. 58 prospect), outfielder Drew Gilbert (Mets No. 3), first baseman Ryan Clifford (Mets No. 4), and right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean (Mets No. 9).
The Mets have acquired first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. “The Mets wouldn’t have to give up any MLB-ready talent in this trade, while the Blue Jays would get plenty of prospects in their early 20’s with high upside to help jumpstart a rebuild,” Sookram wrote in an email. “It may seem like a lot for the Mets to give up, but if Guerrero starts the season strong (he’s projected by FanGraphs to have 4.8 fWAR this season, the most among all first basemen in 2025), then they should be able to swing a deal similar to what the Nationals got when they traded Juan Soto to the Padres.” The Blue Jays would acquire four of the Mets’ top prospects, which might help them quickly rebuild their club. Williams might replace Bo Bichette, who will be a free agent following the season.
The Mets would have a logjam in the infield for a season, but they would also have a competitive advantage over Guerrero in free agency. If Pete Alonso opts out, the Mets may offer Guerrero a significant contract to keep him and Soto together in the future.
Leave a Reply