The Toronto Blue Jays tried and failed to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a contract extension prior to his self-imposed deadline, which was the start of MLB spring training. Guerrero Jr. is comfortable waiting until free agent to test his market value, which should be beyond what the Blue Jays were offering him just a week ago.

“They had their numbers, I had my numbers,” Guerrero said. “It’s just business, like I always say, things happen, but we’re all good. I won’t close the door if it’s a realistic offer.”

Guerrero Jr. has long said he is open to an extension with Toronto and would love to spend his entire career there. However, after missing out on so many top-tier free agents in recent years, including Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Juan Soto, it’s hard to take Guerrero Jr. seriously. Perhaps more importantly, it is tough to take the Blue Jays front office seriously. Something is off with their approach, and should Ross Atkins lose out on a homegrown talent like Guerrero Jr., heads will roll.

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Don’t count out the Atlanta Braves in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. chase

If Vladdy hits free agency, he will almost certainly be courted heavily by division rivals Boston and New York, as well as the Mets. The Blue Jays can throw a wrench in all three teams’ plans by trading Guerrero Jr. prior to the deadline should they struggle to contend in 2025. If Toronto trades Guerrero Jr., the acquiring team would have a few months to make their own case, even if it doesn’t come in the form of formal negotiations.

With that in mind, a team of interest should be the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta’s general manager is Alex Anthopoulos, who signed Vladdy when he was just 16 years old out of the Dominican Republic. These two have good history, and if the Braves were to somehow acquire Guerrero Jr. at the deadline, there’s a case to be made that Atlanta is the best place for him long term. The Braves are built to win, after all, and can afford to pay Guerrero Jr. thanks to a number of their own stars inked to team-friendly deals.

Both CBS Sports and our friends over at Jays Journal have linked Guerrero Jr. to Atlanta, in part due to his relationship with Anthopoulos but also because of their respective timelines. Even if Vladdy only spent a year in the ATL, there’s a good chance he could further the Braves October run. And isn’t that alone worth the risk?