It’s only February, but as of Tuesday, much of the Major League Baseball universe is already looking ahead to November.
Superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension ahead of Guerrero’s self-imposed Monday deadline. With that, Guerrero announced his intention to hit free agency after the 2025 season.
The Boston Red Sox’s biggest need entering the offseason was right-handed hitting, though they signed Alex Bregman to help solve that issue. Still, Guerrero is a perfect fit for Fenway Park, and he’s crushed the ball there during his career.
Still, competition will undoubtedly be fierce for the four-time All-Star. One can reasonably expect the Blue Jays to go all-out, and both the New York Yankees and New York Mets could be involved as well. Do the Red Sox have a realistic shot at landing Guerrero?
FanSided’s Christopher Kline certainly believes so. Kline ranked the Red Sox number one in his early “power rankings” for Guerrero’s free-agent sweepstakes next offseason.
“It feels a bit odd to rank the Red Sox ahead of either New York teams in a free agency bidding war, but Guerrero has made his preferences known. He has told friends he’d love to play in Boston. Now the Red Sox just need to come through with a competitive offer. Craig Breslow’s committed approach to the Juan Soto sweepstakes this winter signals that Boston could really put up a fight for Guerrero,” Kline wrote.
“Maybe this all looks silly when (Mets owner) Steve Cohen lines up $800 million and a lifetime luxury suite at Citi Field, but if the Red Sox put up the necessary capital, there’s reason to believe Guerrero will head on over to Beantown.”
Guerrero might not get the $765 million deal Juan Soto got from the Mets earlier this winter, but it’s reasonable to expect him to approach or even exceed the $500 million mark. That’s a steep price for a Red Sox team that has been hesitant at times to clear the luxury tax threshold, though they’re prepared to do so in 2025.
Perhaps the Red Sox’s best weapon in the Guerrero chase is the star’s reported desire to play in Boston. But they’ll have to find out just how badly he wants it when the time comes.
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