Blue Jays Trading Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Makes More Sense After Juan Soto Mega Deal

Who won the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees trade that sent Juan Soto to the Bronx last year?

After watching Soto bolt to the New York Mets in free agency, many around baseball are saying the Padres won the deal considering the Yankees only got one season from the superstar while the Padres will continue to reap the benefits of the deal for years.

The Toronto Blue Jays are in a very similar position right now as the Padres were last offseason.

For the last few weeks, the reported goal of the Blue Jays was to sign Soto and extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But Soto landed with the Mets for 15 years, $765 million. With Guerrero entering free agency next offseason, it now seems extremely unlikely that he’ll sign an extension. He will almost certainly want to test the free agent market. The same market that gave Soto nearly $800 million.

The Blue Jays could attempt to buy and win with Guerrero. He’s a once-in-a-generation superstar slugger who can change the game with his bat. But, what’s the point if they’ll be fighting quite an uphill battle to re-sign him next winter?

They could also leverage his insane trade value, just like the Padres did with Soto, and deal him away while still staying competitive. A trade return for Guerrero would be absolutely massive.

I’m not saying whether the Blue Jays should or should not trade Guerrero. Parting with a piece like him is very tough. But with the market so high and him unlikely to sign an extension, the narrative around a blockbuster Guerrero trade certainly feels like it changes. It makes a lot more sense today and going forward than it did a week or two ago.

More MLB: Yankees Urged To Steal $174 Million Slugger From Mets After Juan Soto Bolts