Blue Jays, star slugger Guerrero avoid arbitration with one-year contract

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates after hitting a home run during eighth-inning MLB baseball action against the Los Angeles Angels, in Toronto, Aug. 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

The Toronto Blue Jays and slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have avoided arbitration.

The Blue Jays announced Thursday that they agreed to one-year contracts with all seven of their arbitration-eligible players, including Guerrero at US$28.5 million.

Toronto also reached agreements with infielder Ernie Clement ($1.975M), catcher Alejandro Kirk ($4.6M), outfielder Daulton Varsho ($8.2M) and right-handed pitchers Alek Manoah ($2.2M), Zach Pop ($900K) and Nick Sandlin ($1.63M).

Players and teams were to exchange proposed arbitration figures Thursday.

Guerrero had a resurgent past season. The star first baseman hit .323 with 30 homers and 103 RBIs, earning his fourth all-star nod and the Silver Slugger Award.

The 25-year-old face of the franchise, who enters his final season under team control in 2025, also finished sixth in American League MVP voting during a down year for the Blue Jays.

After reaching the post-season in 2020, '22 and '23, — falling in the wild-card round each time — Toronto finished last in the AL East last year at 74-88.

Last winter, Guerrero was awarded $19.9 million when an arbitration panel picked his request over the team’s offer of $18.05 million.

Juan Soto set a record for an arbitration-eligible player when he agreed last year to a $31-million deal with the New York Yankees, topping Shohei Ohtani's $30-million 2023 contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Soto became a free agent in November and signed a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets.

There were 155 players eligible for arbitration at the start of the day and a majority were expected to agree to deals.

For players failing to reach agreements, hearings will be scheduled before three-person panels from Jan. 27 through Feb. 14 at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Players went 9-6 in hearings last winter, leading teams with a 353-266 advantage since arbitration started in 1974.

Guerrero, who made his big-league debut with Toronto in April 2019, played third base in his rookie year before moving across the diamond in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. 

His best year came in 2021, when he finished second in the AL MVP race after hitting .311 with 48 homers and 111 RBIs.

Guerrero won a Gold Glove in '22 but his offensive numbers slipped a little, a trend that continued in '23. He was in top form this past year, though, anchoring the lineup with a .940 OPS and .544 slugging percentage.

The Blue Jays will open the 2025 regular season on March 27 against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

— With files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2025.