COULD THE YANKEES REALLY BE IN ON VLAD GUERRERO JR?

The Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. couldn’t come to terms on a long-term contract before Monday night’s deadline, which means the door is now wide open for other teams to make their pitches when he hits free agency next offseason."We didn’t get to an agreement," Guerrero says, through club translator Hector Lebron, "and now they’re going to have to compete with 29 other teams."

Once news broke that Guerrero Jr. and the Jays failed to reach a deal, MLB insider Jon Heyman wasted no time weighing in on the top contenders to land the slugger. His top three? The Boston Red Sox in the lead, followed by the New York Mets and then the New York Yankees—three franchises with deep pockets and a hunger for star power. It’s no shock that they’d be the biggest players in the mix.

Now, as much as Yankees fans might dream of Guerrero Jr. mashing home runs in pinstripes, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. A while back, Vlad Jr. made it crystal clear that he has zero interest in playing for the Bronx Bombers, famously saying, “Not even (when I’m) dead.” Talk about shutting the door with authority. He’s hinted at personal reasons behind his distaste for the Yankees, though he’s never gone into detail. However, one theory floating around is that it traces back to the 2003 offseason, when New York chose to sign Gary Sheffield instead of his Hall of Fame father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. Whether that’s the actual reason for his grudge or just a fun piece of baseball lore, who knows?

One thing’s for sure—wherever Guerrero Jr. ends up, the bidding war is going to be intense, and the drama will be worth every second.