TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays are heading home for their final series of the Major League Baseball season eliminated from playoff contention and dealing with a headache over comments made by franchise superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The slugging first-baseman seemed to dismiss his disappointing 2026 season in an interview with podcaster Veronica Batista.
Guerrero said in Spanish that the Blue Jays awarded him a 14-year, US$500 million extension before the 2025 season for his previous body of work, not what he would do in the future.
“They didn’t pay me because I’m going to hit 40 (home runs) every year,” he said. “They paid me for what I already accomplished.”
On Wednesday, after the Jays were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-2 loss to Baltimore in the opening game of a doubleheader, Guerrero said through interpreter Hector Lebron that he did not regret his comments about his contract, but that he didn’t mean to suggest he wouldn’t continue to work hard.
The comments ignited blowback on social media for Guerrero, who followed a superstar-defining performance in Toronto’s run to an appearance in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series to a mediocre output in 2026.
Guerrero was batting .263 with just nine home runs heading into Friday’s game against visiting Cincinnati. He has hit just one home run at Rogers Centre this season, and that didn’t come until an 8-1 win over Baltimore on Sept. 13.
The Jays were 75-75 at that point and poised to earn a wild-card berth, but have gone 2-7 since despite their season being on the line. Guerrero enters the final weekend on a five-game hitting streak, but hasn’t driven in a run over their season-ending slump.
Guerrero’s response drew some reaction from inside the baseball world in addition to the pushback from fans. Former Cincinnati Reds all-star Joey Votto posted on X that Guerrero shouldn’t get cover because his remarks were translated from his native Spanish.
“Lost in translation? Let’s not do that,” posted the Toronto native and 2010 National League MVP.
“Vladdy did earn his contract. He’s a young superstar who’s going to have a fantastic career and retire as a Blue Jay and HOF player like his dad. That said, as someone that has said silly things in my past, this is not him at his best.”
Former Blue Jays star Vernon Wells felt that Guerrero’s comments were not meant to be dismissive.
“You do get paid for what you have done up to that point BUT with the exception that that will continue with some natural ups and downs,” Wells posted. “I didn’t take his comments to mean he doesn’t care and doesn’t want to be better than he was this year. I just don’t.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026.
The Canadian Press
