All-Star first baseman and New York Yankees rival Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is set to hit free agency next winter, and he’s willing to talk to every team in Major League Baseball, even if it’s a division rival.
“I’ll speak to every team, even the Yankees,” Guerrero said in an interview at spring training.
This is a stark turnaround from his comments in 2023 when he said that he would never play for the Yankees.
“Not even dead,” he added.
Guerrero is reportedly asking for a $500 million contract of nondeferred money, but the Toronto Blue Jays offered him with deferred money.
Hal Steinbrenner, the owner of the Yankees, hasn’t opened up his wallet to fill some needs ahead of the regular season. Over the past few offseasons, Steinbrenner spent big on Aaron Judge, Carlos Rodon and Max Fried, but the days of buying championships appear to be over.
The current state of the Yankees is to spend big on a player or two and then find cheaper options to fill some other holes or fill them within the organization. Steinbrenner still went dollar-for-dollar with Steve Cohen of the New York Mets for Juan Soto but ultimately pulled out of the race – Cohen would’ve kept raising the bar, but the two parties agreed on a 15-year, $765 million deal.
This offseason, the Yankees decided to sign former MVP Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million deal to be the team’s first baseman. Instead of breaking the bank for Pete Alonso, the Pinstripes went the cheaper route, maybe hinting at an aggressive push for Guerrero.
New York might have a chance to get their hands on the 25-year-old star at the trade deadline this season. While it’s a longshot, if the Blue Jays are fourth or fifth in the American League East, they might decide to move Guerrero and get something for him rather than letting him walk in free agency for nothing in return.
Step 2 would mean the Blue Jays trading him to the Yankees, which makes this tricky. Toronto would likely tax New York for being in the same division, but the Yankees could potentially sign him in the offseason without having to trade their top prospects.
It’s possible that the Yankees can create some space on their payroll in 2026, but they’ll need some luck. Cody Bellinger has a player option in 2026, so if he has a great season in 2025, he can opt out in an attempt to earn more money elsewhere in free agency.
Marcus Stroman, who the Yankees have tried to trade all offseason, will only return to the team if he reaches 140 innings pitched in 2025. That would have to mean he stays healthy for the entirety of the season and is effective, or else New York might end up designating him for assignment later in the season. With the injury bug surrounding the team, his job is safe at the moment.
If the Bombers want to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets, and even the Boston Red Sox, who are on the rise, they might have to hand Guerrero a blank check.
