Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Defends Viral Quote on $500M Blue Jays Contract, 'I'm Not Lying'

As the Toronto Blue Jays put the finishing touches on a disappointing 2026 season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. isn't backing down from a recent quote he about his individual performance and the contract extension he signed last year.

In a Spanish-language interview with Veronica Batista (h/t Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star ) that published Wednesday, Guerrero said his contract "wasn't for what I'm going to do" but "for what I already did."

After those comments received criticism from fans, Guerrero told reporters , via interpreter Hector Lebron, later that same day "I'm not lying" when asked if he regretted that assessment.

Guerrero went on to explain he's not happy with how he has played this season, but in his "personal opinion" players are getting paid for their past output rather than future performance:

"That was a quote from the interview when she asked me how I felt about this year. I said that, obviously, I feel really bad about the year that I had, that I couldn't help my team get to the postseason. I said I felt — that it's my personal opinion — that every player gets paid for what they have done. With that said, you guys have got to remember that I signed my contract at the beginning of last year, then I did put up a good year. Then the kind of playoffs that I had to help the team get into the World Series."

Guerrero signed a 14-year, $500 million extension with the Blue Jays in April 2025. It was the start of what turned out to be a magical year for both parties, as Guerrero helped Toronto win the AL East and make a run to Game 7 of the World Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This season has been arguably the worst of Guerrero's career. He is hitting .263/.335/.360 with nine homers in 142 games. The Blue Jays were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday, making the release of his interview and the comment even worse.

It's not inaccurate to say teams pay players based on what they have done because it informs their analysis of what they will do in the future. On a contract the length and size Guerrero signed, there will usually be some overpay on the back end but the hope is the overall value nets out on the positive side.

No one was expecting that 2026, the first year in which the deal kicked in, would be part of the downside for Guerrero. He is only 27 and there should be a bounce back next season.

It's perhaps worth pointing out the last time Guerrero was worth fewer than 2.0 fWAR in a season was 2023. He came back the following year with arguably his best season, posting a .323/.396/.544 slash line and 5.2 fWAR in 159 games.

Inconsistency has been a hallmark of Guerrero's entire career. In the eight full seasons he has played since debuting in 2019, he has been worth 1.2 fWAR or fewer four times and at least 3.3 fWAR four times.

There might not be a safer bet in 2027 than Guerrero returning to All-Star form.