First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been vocal about his desire to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays. However, there are limits to his patience.

Insider Hector Gomez shared that Guerrero is seeking a long-term contract with the Blue Jays. This contract must be agreed upon before spring training as he does not plan to negotiate during the season.

The Blue Jays and Guerrero initially discussed a long-term extension in 2021, when he was offered a seven-year, $150 million contract. Talks then stalled until Guerrero turned down a $340 million deal this offseason.

Guerrero suggested the Blue Jays didn’t come close to accomplishing what he was considering. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic predicts Guerrero will make between $500 million and $600 million in his next contract. Spotrac, meanwhile, indicates that Guerrero has a market value of about $427 million on a 12-year contract. The Blue Jays will need to significantly improve their offering if they want to retain their All-Star first baseman.

These projections could prove conservative if Guerrero repeats his 2024 results. In his 697 plate appearances, he posted an impressive .323/.396/.544 batting line and hit 30 home runs and 44 doubles. Guerrero also made it to third, potentially presenting another opportunity for any team looking to improve their lineup.

Guerrero’s ultimatum could lead to the Blue Jays’ worst nightmare. The Yankees signed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year deal and could get a significant amount off the books. Although Guerrero once said he would never play for the Yankees, he has softened that stance. A good enough offer could see Guerrero tormenting his former team for the foreseeable future.

The Blue Jays are running out of time to retain Guerrero Jr. If they fail to sign him long-term, Toronto could be struggling for many years to come.