Angels now know what they'll likely have to pay Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in free agency

The Blue Jays trying and failing to extend the contract of their franchise cornerstone opens the door for other big market teams to make bids on the soon-to-be legendary slugger. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is heading towards free agency, causing many Angels' fans chests to swell out a bit. Despite the Angels operating more like the A's than the Dodgers of late, the connection between the two entities cannot be ignored. You have to think they will try and cement themselves in the running to secure Guerrero's services this winter, given what he already means to the fans and what he would represent moving forward.

Guerrero Jr. is looking for a $500 million contract and will have a litany of teams lining up to bid on him. Will teams seriously consider giving a 1B/DH that kind of money? It sure seems so, as he will be in his mid-20s and has been one of the most consistent hitters in his career. Will the Angels be willing to meet his asking price? He seems to be exactly the kind of player they would actually be compelled to do so with.

Angels now know what they'll likely have to pay Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in free agency

Angels fans have long awaited the day where the top brass of their favorite organization might be willing to spend money like the big market team they are. Perhaps Arte Moreno would stop worrying about the bottom line as much if it means he can bring in a franchise icon's son as the next face of his beloved team. Moreno bought himself a lot of good will when he oversaw the signing of Vladimir Guerrero Sr., and is now in desperate need to see a whole bunch of fans sit in his stadium's seats once again. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could revive life in this woe-befallen franchise and inspire hope for the next iteration of this team.

Moreno has a built-in excuse for why he no longer competes for high priced free agents: as an owner he has failed, over-and-over again, to identify which players can play good baseball while under contract for a lot of money... so he should just stop spending money altogether! Why spend a ton of money on players when they never work out for?

The Angels are desperately awaiting for Anthony Rendon's contract to come off the books, and how they proceed following that historic event will show a lot about how the organization plans to operate. Moreno has essentially said that Rendon's contract figure meant that they could not offer Shohei Ohtani more money in free agency. Will they begin another spree of massive spending starting with a bid for Guerrero Jr. a season before? Only time will tell.

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