The New York Yankees are expected to be one of the teams interested in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. next winter. Signing the slugging first baseman makes plenty of sense from the Yankees’ perspective, too, as Guerrero would be a bat they could hit in the middle of their lineup for the next decade-plus.
Guerrero will require the Yankees to spend a ton of money if they want him. He’s one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball, and while first basemen have had a difficult time getting paid in the past, he’s someone who will get a massive deal.
However, perhaps the number will be lower than the Yankees initially thought. When speaking with ESPN’s Enrique Rojas and Ernesto Jerez, Guerrero revealed that his contract demands were much less than Juan Soto’s. The Toronto Blue Jays weren’t willing to give him what he sought.
He even added that it didn’t reach $600 million, giving the Yankees some good news on this front.
“It’s much less than Soto. We’re talking about many fewer millions than Soto, more than a hundred million less. … It was the same number of years [as Soto’s contract], but it didn’t reach [$600 million]. The last number we gave them as a counteroffer didn’t reach 600,” Guerrero said.
“I know the business. I lowered the salary demands a bit, but I also lowered the number of years. … I’m looking for 14 [years]. I would like 14, 15, even 20 if they give them to me, but doing it the right way.”
Do the Yankees Have a Chance?
Guerrero has been on record saying he never wants to play for the New York Yankees. Some hate the Yankees, and some love them. The Yankees are a brand, and if the money is right, can entice nearly every player in baseball to play for them.
Factor that in with some rule changes, like the facial hair policy, and the Yankees are becoming an even more attractive destination for free agents.
When asked if the Yankees and other teams will have a chance, Guerrero said he’s willing to give all 30 teams an opportunity to sign him.
“If I go to free agency, every team — all 30 teams — are going to have the opportunity to sit down with [me], to talk to me,” Guerrero said through an interpreter, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. “I’m OK with everything. It’s in the past.”
Despite that, Guerrero added that he wants to play for the Toronto Blue Jays, adding that Canada is his second home.
“I would love to be here. I want to play my whole career here,” Guerrero said. “Canada is like my second home. I really want to stay here. But it’s a business at the end of the day.”
Why Guerrero Made His Yankee Comment
In the past, Guerrero had a bad run in with the New York Yankees when he was at a game with his father, former superstar Vladimir Guerrero.
“When I was a child with my dad, and like all [players’] kids I was in front of the dugout, and somebody from the Yankees told my dad that ‘You gotta take your kid [inside]. You can’t be on the field,’” Guerrero told The Post. “I felt bad. And it stood with me.”
That was a very long time ago, but things like that stick. The Yankees will have to hope it doesn’t, however, as they got some good news on other fronts.
Yankees Get Good Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Update Amid Demands