Blue Jays fans won't want to hear Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s take on massive contract

After an incredible 2025 season in which Vladimir Guerrero led the Toronto Blue Jays to the World Series, the star first baseman has struggled mightily in 2026.

Guerrero has just nine home runs and a .695 OPS while playin over 140 games this season, both of which are on pace to be significant career lows in an 162-game season. Last year, Guerrero hit 23 home runs with an .848 OPS, strong numbers that weren't even among the best of his career.

The timing of this season is even worse when taking into account that it is Guerrero's first season on a 14-year, $500 million deal he signed in March of 2025. Some fans, therefore, are concerned that the deal will age poorly based on this year's production alone.

However, Guerrero is not concerned with the pressure of playing on such a large deal moving forward. In fact, the first baseman believes he's already earned the deal with how he's played in the past.

Here's what Guerrero had to say about his contract.

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Vladimir Guerrero defends massive contract

In an interview with Telemicro News, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. defended his huge contract amid a down season by saying the Blue Jays largely paid him for past performance.

"The contract I got was based on what I did, not necessarily for what I'm going to do," Guerrero said in Spanish, as translated by Hector Gomez. "I understand why the fans believe it's the other way around. Sometimes I think that way too, like 'oh they give me this money and I'm not doing enough,' but you know I try my best and I'm working hard."

Guerrero added that he understands fan support is conditional most of the time, as they don't want to see their favorite teams struggle, but his best fans will always support him regardless of how well he's playing.

"The fans I know how they are, when you are doing great they are 100 percent behind you but when you are not at your best not everybody is behind you, almost nobody supports you. Those are my real fans, the ones that are supporting me all the time."

Guerrero was asked about his comments after the Blue Jays' game on Wednesday, and he affirmed that this was what he believed.

"No, I don't regret myself. I'm not lying with what I say," Guerrero said through an interpreter, via ESPN. "I understand some fans, they don't understand the way and what I was trying to say specifically, but what I said is the way I feel."

A few days later, and after speaking with his father, Guerrero apologized to the fans for his comments.

"I feel that the comments I made the other day is not what I really wanted to say," he said. "Everyone deserves an apology from me."

In 2024, which was the the season before Guerrero signed the deal, the first baseman put up 30 home runs and a .940 OPS, the latter of which was the second-highest mark of his career. As he was just 26 years-old entering the 2025 season, the Blue Jays felt they were getting the best years of Guerrero's career locked up.

Instead, Guerrero will enter the next MLB season needing to prove to the Blue Jays fanbase that he can get his numbers back up to a better level.

Vladimir Guerrero contract details

Guerrero is finishing up the first year of a 14-year, $500 million deal he signed with the Blue Jays in April of 2025. He is making $35.7 million a season, has a $325 million signing bonus and won't be a free agent until 2040.