Sizing up potential suitors for Guerrero's looming free agency
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is shaping up to be the crown jewel of next winter's free-agent market.
Guerrero said last week that all 30 teams will have an opportunity to sit down with him once free agency opens in the fall. There'll likely be no shortage of clubs interested in adding a transformative offensive talent entering his age-27 campaign as he heads into the 2026 season.
Here, we look at clubs that make sense as potential suitors for Guerrero.
Toronto Blue Jays
No team needs Guerrero quite like Toronto. He's its homegrown star who comes with a Canadian connection. After striking out on so many free agents, the front office can add its own player to the long list of those who said no thanks to its money.
The Blue Jays are still expected to be heavily interested in keeping Guerrero even though the two sides weren't apparently close to finding common ground on an extension. With a handful of players uncertain beyond this campaign, it's hard to know what things will look like in Toronto after the 2025 season.
The history of players playing out the year as impending free agents and re-signing with their current club isn't long. It's hard to retain talent once all teams can negotiate with the player. The Juan Soto situation should only reinforce that point. Aaron Judge ultimately re-signed with the Yankees, but they were a strong club coming off a run to the ALCS. Judge also wanted to be remembered as one of the greatest in the franchise's history.
The Blue Jays, as constructed, look like a wild-card contender at best. Guerrero said winning is a priority when considering what the future might look like. A less-than-stellar season in Toronto could give him pause to sign up long term. The Blue Jays also have to weigh the pros and cons of either holding on to Guerrero through the trade deadline or moving him to avoid repeating what happened to the Angels with Shohei Ohtani in 2023. At the end of the day, the Jays can't consider the door closed on Guerrero until he's wearing another uniform.
New York Yankees
Guerrero has reversed his stance on donning the Yankee pinstripes. He said he'd consider the Yankees along with any other club in free agency after previously saying he'd never play for the franchise, "not even dead." Guerrero also liked an Instagram post that showed him wearing a Yankees jersey. Maybe it's a leverage move to put more heat on the Blue Jays front office, or maybe it's another indication that his stance on playing in the Bronx softened.
The appeal for the Yankees would be obvious. Judge won a second AL MVP in 2024, with Soto providing the best protection in the lineup he's ever received. Guerrero isn't quite the offensive player Soto is, but he'd still form a frightening partnership with Judge in the middle of the lineup.
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt signed a one-year deal, and Giancarlo Stanton's contract expires after the 2027 season. That money coming off the books relatively soon creates flexibility to potentially slide Guerrero's future salary in. The Yankees can never be counted out for a star free agent if Hal Steinbrenner is serious about the player.
New York Mets
The Mets have emerged as a financial powerhouse since Steve Cohen assumed control of the franchise. Juan Soto signed the biggest contract in MLB history, and the Mets have paid the highest luxury-tax penalties for several years. Cohen recently said the franchise has to be somewhat cautious about adding more long-term deals moving forward, but it's hard to see him shying away from the Guerrero sweepstakes when the time comes.
Guerrero could theoretically slide right into the hole left by Pete Alonso. The Mets and Alonso found their way back to each other this offseason, ultimately agreeing to a two-year deal with an opt-out after the 2025 season. The prospect of replacing Alonso with a younger, superior version should be a tantalizing prospect for Cohen and the Mets. Guerrero also has relationships with Soto, a fellow Dominican, as well as Francisco Alvarez, which only helps the Mets' chances of landing him.
Boston Red Sox
Red Sox fans are probably already dreaming about Guerrero punishing baseballs over the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Guerrero's hit 10 home runs with a gaudy .356 batting average and 1.054 OPS across 46 career games at the stadium. Pairing a right-handed slugger like Guerrero with a left-handed powerhouse like Rafael Devers would give the Red Sox a balanced and potent offensive duo for years to come.
Positioning is the biggest roadblock for Guerrero ending up in Boston. Devers has already faced questions about moving off third base after the signing of Alex Bregman, with many looking at first base as his future home. Triston Casas is also under team control through the 2028 season. If first base isn't available, it's hard to see where Guerrero would slot in. The Red Sox could decide the offensive upside is worth it and figure out who plays where as they go. Maybe Guerrero could pick up the mantle from Hall of Famer David Ortiz as the next great designated hitter in Red Sox history.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers are no stranger to getting aggressive in free agency, paying Corey Seager and Marcus Semien half a billion dollars in 2021. Those moves served as the catalyst for Texas' first World Series championship in 2023. The Rangers acquired Jake Burger to play first base this offseason, but that shouldn't be much of an issue if general manager Chris Young decides Guerrero is worth pursuing.
Pairing Seager's complete offensive game with Guerrero's prodigious power production looks like a potential match made in heaven for the Rangers. They might not seem like an obvious fit at first glance. However, they could quickly emerge as a strong suitor in the Guerrero sweepstakes.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants have fallen short in their pursuit of a superstar to build around over the past few years. Signing Willy Adames this offseason was a nice start, but Buster Posey and the front office are still searching for a real linchpin to put in place as a foundational piece.
San Francisco could easily slot Guerrero at first and in the middle of the lineup for years to come. However, a move to the pitcher-friendly confines of Oracle Park might not appeal to Guerrero. The stadium permitted the fewest home runs across three years from 2022-24. That could be a serious roadblock to signing Guerrero.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs will likely look to extend Kyle Tucker after acquiring the former Astros star in a trade. However, if they can't find common ground with Tucker, pivoting to Guerrero feels logical. Chicago has meandered through the past few seasons without a clear direction, qualifying for the playoffs just once since 2018. The club has a number of talented players on the roster but is missing a difference-making hitter in the middle of the lineup.
Unfortunately, Wrigley Field hasn't been a historically great offensive environment for right-handed power hitters. It ranked 28th in Statcast's park factors metric from 2022-24 for righties, which might not be particularly appealing to a right-handed thumper like Guerrero.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels have a history of ponying up for free agents, landing Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and Anthony Rendon over the past decade or so. Guerrero also has a history with the franchise after his father played in Anaheim for six seasons, including winning AL MVP in 2004. Guerrero Sr. chose an Angels hat for his plaque at Cooperstown. Outside of that connection, there isn't much that'll likely appeal to Guerrero outside of a lucrative financial commitment. The Angels own baseball's longest current postseason drought at 10 seasons, and they don't appear close to ending that run of futility anytime soon. This feels like the longest shot of any potential suitors.
Los Angeles Dodgers
No list would be complete without the Dodgers. At first glance, it doesn't seem like a logical fit. Los Angeles has Freddie Freeman entrenched at first base, and he's emerged as a hugely popular figure among fans after helping the club win the World Series in 2024. Despite that, Freeman is entering his age-35 season and only has two more years remaining on his contract following the 2025 campaign.
The Dodgers have become a successful franchise by making smart moves and targeting players in their prime via free agency or trade. Finding a way to sign Guerrero would be consistent with that methodology. While the move might require L.A. to trade Freeman and is probably fair to be considered unlikely, it also can't be completely ruled out. Not when we're talking about the Dodgers.