Blue Jays, star slugger Guerrero avoid arbitration with 1-year contract

The Toronto Blue Jays and slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have avoided arbitration.

The Blue Jays announced Thursday that they agreed to one-year contracts with all seven of their arbitration-eligible players, including Guerrero at $28.5 million US.

Toronto also reached agreements with infielder Ernie Clement ($1.975M), catcher Alejandro Kirk ($4.6M), outfielder Daulton Varsho ($8.2M) and right-handed pitchers Alek Manoah ($2.2M), Zach Pop ($900K) and Nick Sandlin ($1.63M).

Players and teams were to exchange proposed arbitration figures Thursday.

Guerrero had a resurgent past season. The star first baseman hit .323 with 30 homers and 103 RBIs, earning his fourth all-star nod and the Silver Slugger Award.

The 25-year-old face of the franchise, who enters his final season under team control in 2025, also finished sixth in American League MVP voting during a down year for the Blue Jays.

After reaching the post-season in 2020, '22 and '23, — falling in the wild-card round each time — Toronto finished last in the AL East last year at 74-88.

Last winter, Guerrero was awarded $19.9 million when an arbitration panel picked his request over the team's offer of $18.05 million.

Juan Soto set a record for an arbitration-eligible player when he agreed last year to a $31-million deal with the New York Yankees, topping Shohei Ohtani's $30-million 2023 contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Soto became a free agent in November and signed a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets.

There were 155 players eligible for arbitration at the start of the day and a majority were expected to agree to deals.

For players failing to reach agreements, hearings will be scheduled before three-person panels from Jan. 27 through Feb. 14