Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Contract Standoff with the Jays

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00:00So, I want to start with Vladi with you.

00:03It's amazing to me that this team that you know well and that has been dying to sign

00:13anyone that's a superstar in baseball over the last few years, and then they have their

00:20superstar right there, right in front of their face, and they're willing to give Otani or

00:26anybody else all kinds of money, and then when it comes to the star that's been busting

00:31his ass and being the guy and face of that franchise, I mean, it's as bad as the treatment

00:38that they gave Alonzo in New York, but they gave him a deal.

00:41I can't believe what's happening with Vladi and the Jays.

00:45And he gave them a warning, Scott, about let's get this done before spring training, I don't

00:52want to deal with this once the year starts, and the Jays just refuse to move.

00:58And as you stated, is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. perfect?

01:02No.

01:03But at the same point in time, he is one of the best players in the game.

01:06He is only 26 years old, guys.

01:09It feels like he's been around for a while.

01:10He has been.

01:12He's only 26 years old, all right?

01:14So he's got the prime of his career coming up.

01:17He's the perfect player to sign to a 10, 12-year deal, Scott.

01:21A lot of these deals that you sign, you're getting guys, they're going to be 42 at the

01:24end of this or whatnot, and you're really signing for the first five years of the production.

01:30With Vlad, you know what, he's going to play until he's 40, so you're getting this kid

01:36from he's 26 to 36 or so or whatnot.

01:39That's what I don't understand either.

01:41If you're Vladimir Guerrero Jr., you've clearly seen them offer Otani $750 million, which

01:47they did.

01:48You just saw them bend over backwards and offer Soto $700 million plus.

01:55Then you check in, you're a free agent coming up, and you say, all right, I want $450 million.

02:01That's the number that Vlad and his camp put on the table.

02:05The Jays offered him $340 million.

02:08I should note they offered before the $450 million.

02:11The Jays were like, oh, we're going to deal with this.

02:13They offered $340 million for like 10 years, and Vlad said, you guys are way off.

02:19I'm looking at $450 million, and they've never found a common ground.

02:24Listen, I'm not in the room, Scott, but from what I understand, Vlad did lower it to like,

02:29all right, $420 million, $425 million, et cetera.

02:33He didn't want to get off that $400 million plus type of number.

02:38I don't know if they got up to $360 million, $370 million, but as you stated, the Jays

02:42have money.

02:42They're legitimately the richest owners in baseball.

02:48They are.

02:49No other company that owns a team, like the Dodgers are just a bunch of businessmen that

02:54own the Dodgers.

02:55They don't have some sort of other windfall.

02:57The Steinbrenners own the Yankees, et cetera.

03:00Karl Pohat in Minnesota is a really rich dude.

03:03Steve Cohen, obviously, but the Jays are right there, Scott.

03:08Rodgers is one of the biggest corporations in the world.

03:12They have the money, and they've never been shy to spend money, bro.

03:16When they won World Series, remember, Dave Winfield, Paul Moulton, they would sign anybody.

03:21Ricky Henderson, they had everybody on their team.

03:24They just invested literally like $300 million, $400 million in their stadium.

03:29They just literally invested like $200 million in their AAA complex in Buffalo.

03:35These guys throw money around everywhere, and now the one damn guy that wears your jersey

03:41proudly, you're screwing around with, Scott.

03:43It's insane.

03:44And I'd be worried if I was a Yankee fan, people, because we know Vlad once famously

03:49said, I would never play for the Yankees.

03:51I don't like them.

03:53Word is, he does like Fenway Park, and he does like the Red Sox.

03:58And already, sportsbooks are popping it up.

04:00The John Hamons of the world, everybody, Bob Nightingale.

04:03Basically, everybody thinks two teams will be in the mix for him next year, and that

04:08would be the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox.

04:13So I don't know if the Jays want to just make the Red Sox better, but this will be

04:17ugly for Toronto, Scott, if they don't get this done.

04:20If I was the ownership of the Blue Jays, I would just bypass Shapiro and Atkins.

04:24They're stooges.

04:25They're the president and the GM.

04:27They have money.

04:28Call it the CEO of the company, Mr. Ed Rogers or Ted, whoever the hell it is now.

04:32There's like 12 of them.

04:33I think it's Edward, whoever's running things.

04:36They're very secretive about it, but just put the money on the table.

04:39You guys have the money.

04:40Just give them the check.

04:41Here's $450 million, lad.

04:43Welcome to your stay in Toronto.

04:44Get it on.

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