There are growing rumors that the New York Yankees could pursue a trade for Toronto Blue Jays’ superstar first baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The young slugger, whose contract expires after the 2025 season, is likely to become a free agent after seeing Juan Soto secure a massive $800 million deal. This high bar makes it unlikely Guerrero will sign a contract extension with the Blue Jays.
If Guerrero does not sign an extension, Toronto may explore trading him, and Christopher Kline from FanSided recently named the Yankees as one of the top contenders to land the first baseman. Surprisingly, Kline ranked New York second on his list of potential suitors.
Kline wrote, “This would be the funniest outcome, if only because Guerrero once said he wanted to ‘kill’ the Yankees and would never play for the Bronx Bombers, citing a family beef. That was a little more than a year ago, so not exactly ancient history. That said, Guerrero – perhaps in anticipation of this exact sequence of events – has since changed his tune.”
Kline added, “The Yankees are desperate to replace Soto’s bat and stockpile star power around Judge. Guerrero, like Soto, is extremely young and extremely accomplished at the same time. He’s quite literally the next-best option.”
Despite the Yankees’ interest in Guerrero, a trade seems highly unlikely. The Blue Jays are unlikely to send their star player to a bitter rival like New York. Additionally, even if Toronto were open to a trade, the Yankees currently lack the prospect capital to pull off a deal.
While the Yankees may dream of landing Guerrero, the most realistic scenario would be for them to sign him as a free agent next offseason.
