Just turning 26 years old, Guerrero is coming off a sixth-place finish in the American League MVP race. Posting a .940 OPS and driving in 103 runs, Guerrero felt this production was worthy of a contract he claims the Blue Jays did not come close to offering ( via ESPN's Jeff Passan ).

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Guerrero rejected an extension offer in excess of $500 million from the Blue Jays, with enough deferred money to lower the present-day value to between $400 million and $450 million. Guerrero reportedly signaled that he was willing to accept deferrals, but only if the contract value was still $500 million.