What extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr. means for the future of the Toronto Blue Jays

After a long negotiation process with many believing that the perennial all-star first baseman would find a new home after this season, the Toronto Blue Jays have extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the tune of $500 million over the next 14 years.

Guerrero had rejected the Blue Jays' previous extension offers over the offseason, feeling he was worth more than what the team was trying to give him. This was also following the massive contract outfielder Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, possibly inflating the market at the time.

Nonetheless, the Jays now have their guy for the foreseeable future, so where does the team go from here?

The obvious answer is to build around Guerrero while he is still young and in his prime, but how does the team do that?

The Blue Jays have failed to win a playoff series since 2016, well before Guerrero or anyone else on the active roster was on the team. The last three appearances, which Guerrero has participated in, have all ended in sweeps in the Wild Card round.

The Jays desperately need a playoff win, and although re-signing Guerrero gets them one step closer, it won’t be enough.

The team has failed to sign big-name free agents in the past couple of years, such as Soto, Shohei Ohtani, fellow Japanese sensation starting pitcher Roki Sasaki and Pete Alonso.

With this track record, the team has been forced to rely heavily on their farm system and the players they have had for the past few seasons, such as shortstop Bo Bichette and outfielder George Springer. The big problem with relying on their prospects is that the Jays have not found much success with their farm system as of late.

In the last five years, the Blue Jays have been ranked as one of the worst farm systems in baseball. This has left the team with increasingly weaker lineups as the years progress.

In order to get back to the success the team experienced with former MVP Josh Donaldson and fellow sluggers José Bautista and Edwin Encarnación, the team needs to supply Guerrero with another yearly all-star caliber player.

Whether the team continues to try and look within the organization or find a player through trades, this move needs to be made sooner rather than later, while the season is still young and the team has a chance to compete for a playoff spot.

There is some hope within the farm system, with 19-year-old shortstop Arjun Nimmala. The standout Blue Jays prospect is young but has shown exceptional talent in his professional career since being drafted in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft.

Although Nimmala is still a ways away from the big leagues, he could join Guerrero soon enough to help the team win that first playoff series since 2016.

At the major league level, there is plenty of talent. It is just a matter of what the Blue Jays would be willing to give up in order to receive what they want.

With the season still young, it is unlikely that any moves will go down soon, but it would not be a surprise if the Jays look for a spark in the lineup or rotation if some starters are not playing up to the team's expectations.

With Guerrero now most likely being a Blue Jay for life, he trusts the organization to assemble a roster that he can compete with. The ball is truly in the front office's court now, after making Guerrero their guy, it is up to them to put the rest of the pieces together around him and give Canada and the rest of the Blue Jays fans a competitive team to watch and support as they chase their first title since 1993.

Charles Wesolowski is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email cjw6772@psu.edu.