PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 12: Manager John Schneider #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 12, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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The Toronto Blue Jays’ season ended with plenty of disappointment, but the fallout did not stop when their postseason run came to an end. Franchise slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. found himself at the center of an unexpected firestorm after defending the massive contract he signed with Toronto amid a very disappointing season.
“On the day the Toronto Blue Jays were eliminated from post-season contention, clips of a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. interview went viral and the star first baseman stepped in a heaping pile of his own making,” Shi Davidi explained for Sportsnet. “But it was a preview clip that circulated online with Guerrero saying he received his $500-million, 14-year contract not ‘for what I’m going to do, it was for what I already did, they didn’t pay me because I’m going to hit 40 every year, they paid me for what I already accomplished,’ that triggered a social media firestorm that neither he, nor his team, needed.”
Shortly after the Blue Jays were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention by the American League East division rival Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, Guerrero and his manager were forced to address the unfortunate comments.
Toronto Blue Jays Manager John Schneider Offers Vladimir Guerrero Jr Response After Viral Incident
In his postgame comments, Guerrero stood by what he said. Asked if he regretted the stance, given the negative fan reaction, Guerrero replied that he doesn’t:
“I’m not lying with what I said,” Guerrero said, per Davidi. “I understand sometimes (fans) don’t understand the way or what I was trying to say, specifically. But what I said was the way I felt.”
Manager John Schneider also stepped in with a response meant to defend the star infielder in the wake of the pushback.
“The person I know — Vlad — by no means is he saying ‘OK, I got paid and I’m good with that,’” Schneider said, according to Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae. “I know the type of worker he is, the player he is, type of teammate he is… he’s going to continue to work to have a better year.”
Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr Faces Big Test After Manager John Schneider’s Comments
Schneider’s defense comes at the end of a season in which Guerrero hit just .263/.335/.360 with nine home runs and 56 RBIs across 142 games.
That production represented a sharp departure from the version of Guerrero that Toronto fans saw during the 2025 season and postseason, when he was a major contributor to the club’s run to the World Series.
For Toronto, its manager and franchise slugger, the focus now shifts toward helping Guerrero return to the player the organization believes it committed $500 million to keep.
Schneider’s message suggests the Blue Jays are not viewing Guerrero’s difficult season as evidence that he has stopped working. Instead, the manager is publicly backing his star first baseman and expecting him to use the offseason to get back on track.
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