Blue Jays exec still believes team can work out a contract extension with Vlad Guerrero Jr.: 'Clear alignment'

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is now just a week away from beginning his final season before qualifying for free agency. While Guerrero's self-appointed deadline for reaching an extension to remain in Toronto has long passed, that didn't stop Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro from offering strong comments concerning the club's interest in retaining their star slugger.

"I think we're going to sign him. I think we're going to extend him," Shapiro said on Thursday, according to MLB.com. "The reason I feel that way is because we have such a clear alignment on the desired outcome."

Those are uncharacteristic comments for any executive to make on the record and without a deal in place, but especially one with Shapiro's history of playing things close to the vest. It's now a certainty that Shapiro's words will be held against him if the Blue Jays fail to keep Guerrero.

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Shapiro, again with unusual candor, explained that he believes attendance is correlated more with winning games than employing star players. He acknowledged that there are rare exceptions, legacy players from "Brooks Robinson to Cal Ripken Jr. to Kirby Puckett," and that he thinks Guerrero -- who was born in Canada and to date has spent his career with the Blue Jays -- might be one for Toronto.

"Let me be clear. There's only been one player in my time in Major League Baseball who had a marketing case that significantly and meaningfully offset the value of his contract. One player. Only one," Shapiro said. 

"In every other case, I would say the only other thing that actually sells tickets in the hundreds of thousands is winning. There are players who have magnetic personalities, like Vlad, who amplify winning and can really help, but fans don't come to see great players on losing teams. We need to win to have fans come in the largest numbers possible. Vlad is a part of helping us win and he's a player that has a chance to be a very special player for a generation of Blue Jays fans."

Even so, it's unclear if the Blue Jays can deliver on Shapiro's declaration. Guerrero is reportedly seeking $500 million in present-day value. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, had offered somewhere between $400 and $450 million. It stands to reason that Guerrero's price tag will not decline the closer he gets to the open market, with the possibility of then creating additional leverage once the offseason rolls around by engaging in negotiations with teams other than the Blue Jays themselves.

Guerrero, 26, is expected to be the top free agent available this winter. For his career, he's hit .288/.363/.500 (137 OPS+) with 160 home runs and 21.3 Wins Above Replacement. He's earned four All-Star Game designations as well as a Gold Glove and two Silver Slugger Awards.