Blue Jays, Guerrero Jr. avoid arbitration, agree to 1-year, $14.5M deal
Posted January 13, 2023 9:51 pm.
Last Updated January 13, 2023 10:33 pm.
The Toronto Blue Jays and their young superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. avoided arbitration and agreed to a one-year, $14.5 million deal on Friday, the club announced.
The Blue Jays have now signed 11 of their 12 arbitration-eligible players, excluding only shortstop Bo Bichette.
Earlier Friday, the club agreed to new contracts with outfielder Daulton Varsho, catcher Danny Jansen, infielder Santiago Espinal, infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio, left-handed reliever Tim Mayza, right-handed closer Jordan Romano and right-handed relievers Adam Cimber, Erik Swanson, Trevor Richards and Trent Thornton.
OFFICIAL: We've agreed to contracts with the following players for the 2023 season, avoiding arbitration! pic.twitter.com/kXLJPzpuAd
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) January 14, 2023
Varsho, 26, was acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent top catching prospect Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Blue Jays acquired Swanson, 29, and pitching prospect Adam Macko from the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.
The team announced that Canadian closer Romano signed for just over $4.5 million, while Jansen signed for $3.5 million.
Cimber ($3.1 million), Varsho ($3.05 million), Biggio ($2.8 million), Espinal ($2.1 million), Mayza ($2.1 million), Richards ($1.5 million), Swanson ($1.2 million) and Thornton ($1 million) are also now under contract for the 2023 season.
Guerrero Jr., 23, is coming off yet another productive season despite failing to match his spectacular totals from the year prior. Vladdy finished hitting .274/.339/.480 with 32 home runs and 97 RBIs in 160 games. He made his second-straight American League All-Star appearance and won his first Gold Glove award for his defensive work at first base.
Guerrero Jr. is under team control and arbitration-eligible for two more years before potentially reaching free agency in 2026, also when Bichette becomes a free agent.
Bichette, 24, will now head to an arbitration hearing after both sides failed to agree on a contract. The shortstop hit .290/.333/.469 with 24 home runs and 91 RBIs across 159 games.
With files from Sportsnet
