Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is not closing any doors for his upcoming free agency. The 26-year-old first baseman is set for a mega contract this offseason and will listen to offers from every MLB franchise willing to contact him. Here’s what he had to say on his availability:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on his upcoming free agency: “I’ll speak to every team, including the Yankees” #Yankeespic.twitter.com/AyRTaliJDk — Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) March 19, 2025 Also, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Guerrero Jr. will demand over $500 million in present value, meaning none of his money would defer to later dates. This puts the wealthy New York Yankees in a prime position to shell out for Vladdy and steal him from division rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays. For the Chicago Cubs, this is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Guerrero Jr. is open for business and with Kyle Tucker potentially on his way out, he would be an instant replacement in the heart of the lineup.

On the other hand, teams that are less stingy with their money, such as the Yankees, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox, are more inclined than Chicago to get into a bidding war. Despite their big-market status and historic value, the Cubs front office has been reluctant to pay top money lately. The largest contract in franchise history was awarded to Jason Hayward (eight years, $184 million) in December of 2015. On the current books, only Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ are set to make more than $20 million. Guerrero Jr.’s annual average will land somewhere in the $35 million range.

Will Chicago finally break the bank for a highly sought-after free agent, or will they continue their conservative spending habits? Everything could change pending Tucker’s decision, but it feels like the Cubs will be on the outside looking in for Vladdy.