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Toronto Blue Jays Sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for $3.9 Million

By Chris Okrainetz

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Toronto Blue Jays Sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for $3.9 Million

Dating back to January, the Toronto Blue Jays have been connected to international free agent Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Well, those rumours finally came to fruition on Thursday, as the Blue Jays reached an agreement with Guerrero Jr. for $3.9 million, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez.

Much like his father, former MLB legend Vladimir Guerrero, he will start his career north of the border in Canada. Although Guerrero Jr. is only 16 years old, scouts and fans have watched the youngster for a while now.

His highlight videos have gone viral among baseball fans and his powerful swing is reminiscent of his father’s ferocious stroke. There is more to Guerrero’s game than just his famous baseball bloodline, though. According to MLB Pipeline, Guerrero Jr. is the No. 4 ranked international prospect.

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Already bigger than his father was at 16, Guerrero Jr. has tremendous raw power, great bat speed and the kind of physical attributes many players dream about. Although some scouts have concerns about his defence, he’s so strong at the plate that you simply find ways to get him on the field, regardless of his defence.

It will probably be a few years before we see Vlady Jr. in a Blue Jays uniform, but it wouldn’t be unrealistic to think he will make it up to Toronto before he turns 21.

By signing Guerrero Jr. to a deal well above what they had to spend on international free agents without penalties, the Blue Jays will not be allowed to sign any IFA’s next season for more than $300,000.

Initially, the Jays were set to pay an overage penalty tax of nearly $1.6 million. But the team ended up slashing that tax significantly when they traded prospects Chase De Jong and Tim Locastro to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three spending slots totalling $1,071,300.

With the extra $1 million, the Blue Jays can reallocate that money to the big-league club, or use it elsewhere. Financial ramifications aside, when you’re able to add an elite prospect like Guerrero Jr. and only have to miss one future signing period, you have to tip your hat to the Jays’ brass on a job well done.

Hopefully we will see No. 27 digging into the box at the Rogers Centre real soon. But in the meantime, let’s keep our fingers crossed that he continues to develop like his legendary father did.

Next: Cole Hamels Isn't Ruling Out Toronto

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