Vladdy Blow! Cubs Receive Disheartening Update on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Amid Trade Demands
The Chicago Cubs appear to be on the outside looking in for the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sweepstakes.
Via a recent ESPN report, Guerrero’s representatives have made clear to the Toronto Blue Jays that his contract demands will be somewhere in the $600 million range but are unlikely to top that figure.
“I know the business,” Guerrero Jr. told ESPN. “I lowered the salary demands a bit, but I also lowered the number of years…I’m looking for 14 [years]. I would like 14, 15, even 20 if they give them to me, but doing it the right way.”
Even at that length, Guerrero Jr.’s astronomical price tag likely eliminates the Cubs from contention — if history is any indicator.
Much to the dismay of Chicago fans, the team’s 2025 projected payroll is 13th among Major League teams. This is not a horrific ranking, but it leaves Wrigleyville wanting more.
The Cubs also failed to lock up outfielder Kyle Tucker to a long-term deal after this offseason’s blockbuster trade, which saw the team send proven infielder Isaac Paredes, a promising young pitcher in Hayden Wesneski, and 3B Cam Smith to the Houston Astros.
Tucker is currently signed to a one-year, $16.5 million contract. The uncertainty surrounding Tucker’s future will weigh on Chicago all summer.
The Cubs were also unwilling to pay for outfielder Cody Bellinger, who will now play out the final two years of his $52.5 million contract with the New York Yankees. Bellinger has had an up-and-down career, but his peaks are tantalizing.
He won an MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 and had a revelation on the north side of Chicago, recording 44 home runs, 175 RBIs, and a .815 OPS over 260 games.
Plus, the 29-year-old Bellinger is a valuable defender in the outfield and at first base. The return from the Yankees was underwhelming, as they only had to give up RHP Cody Poteet.
Given Chicago’s stingy track record, it seems unlikely that it will shell out for the highly-coveted Guerrero Jr., who is certain to have a bevy of suitors.
