By JACK BEZANTS

Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr have finally struck a deal to keep the talented first baseman with the team for the rest of his career.

Reports in the early hours of Sunday say the two parties are in agreement on an astonishing 14-year deal worth $500million – and according to ESPN, none of it is deferred.

It’s the second largest deal in baseball behind Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765million New York Mets deal. Shohei Ohtani’s $700million Dodgers deal is not considered to count by the majority of baseball analysts due to the vast sums of money in deferred payments lowering the end value.

Guerrero Jr, 26, hit 30 home runs for the Blue Jays last season but is yet to get his first so far in 2025. The news of his contract emerges after his team were swept by Soto and the Mets in a three-game series in New York.

But despite the slow start, it’s a huge statement of intent from a team who simply were not prepared to let their prized asset hit the open market at the end of the year. 

Speaking in February, Guerrero voiced his displeasure at how contract talks with the Blue Jays were going and put all of Major League Baseball on red alert by underlining his intentions to go into free agency at the end of 2025.

‘They had their numbers; I had my numbers,’ Guerrero said at the start of spring training. ‘We did not get an agreement. 

This is business, like I always say. Things happen. The last couple of days, the front office, my lawyers, my agents met. Both parties tried but obviously we couldn’t get an agreement.’

But even then he insisted he wanted to sign a deal to stay in Toronto for his entire career and finally, he has got his wish.

The Blue Jays are 5-5 after a tough weekend in the Big Apple against the Mets, one win back from the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in the American League East.

The Blue Jays start a four-game series against their divisional rivals the Red Sox in Boston on Monday night. 

MORE TO FOLLOW 

:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr agrees monumental 14-year, $500m Toronto Blue Jays deal to end tense standoff

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk