Jays star Guerrero backtracks, expresses 'regret' over contract remarks — SkimNews
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- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. apologized through a translator, saying he "regrets" comments from a Spanish-language interview on Dominican TV program "Grandes Ligas" in which he said, "They didn't pay me because I'm going to hit 40 every year. They paid me for what I already accomplished."
- The interview clip became public Wednesday — the same day Toronto was eliminated from postseason contention with a loss at Baltimore — and Guerrero initially stood by the remarks before reversing course after "days of criticism."
- Guerrero is in the first season of a 14-year, $500 million contract, the third-largest in MLB total dollars behind Juan Soto's $765 million deal with the Mets and Shohei Ohtani's $700 million agreement with the Dodgers.
- The contract includes a record $325 million signing bonus structured to protect Guerrero's money from a possible work stoppage.
- Guerrero has slumped to a .263 average with nine home runs and 56 RBIs this year — career lows for a non-shortened season — calling it "disappointing" after being slowed by a back injury, concussion and hamstring tightness.
- The six-time All-Star said he consulted his Hall of Fame father Vladimir Guerrero and apologized to his Blue Jays teammates.
Why it matters: Guerrero's reversal is notable because he initially defended the comments the same day Toronto was eliminated, only to apologize after 'days of criticism.' His 2025 stats (.263 average, 9 HR, 56 RBIs) — career lows for a non-shortened season — give weight to the substance of his original self-criticism. The Blue Jays now head into the offseason with their franchise cornerstone publicly second-guessing his own value under a deal that runs through 2039.
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