Arbitration panel sides with Guerrero Jr., Jays 1B will earn $19.9M

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won his arbitration case against the Toronto Blue Jays and will earn $19.9 million in 2024, a record salary awarded through a hearing.

The all-star third baseman and the club, which had offered $18.05 million, argued their cases before a three-member panel Tuesday, with the decision released Wednesday.

Guerrero earned $14.5 million last season when he batted .264/.345/.444 with 26 homers and 94 RBIs, and he and the Blue Jays couldn’t agree on a salary in his third time through the arbitration process. He’s been on a similar earning track to fellow slugging first baseman Pete Alonso, who settled with the New York Mets at $20.5 million.

While arbitration is based on comparable players and individual stats, hearings can create ill feelings and leave players frustrated – a risky possibility with a cornerstone player eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.

The Blue Jays last went to a hearing in 2019, when Ryan Tepera was awarded the club’s offer of $1.525 million rather than his ask of $1.8 million, and the reliever came away frustrated by what he heard during the arguments.

It’s the 16th hearing in franchise history, and the Blue Jays are now 9-7. Six of those cases have come under the current front office, which is 3-3.

They’d won three in a row before the Guerrero case, beating Marcus Stroman ($6.5 million, rather than $6.9 million) and Roberto Osuna ($5.3 million, rather than $5.8 million) in 2018 before Tepera a year later.