BOSTON -- The Blue Jays on Wednesday announced they've signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million extension, immediately marking one of the biggest moments in franchise history.

“This is a monumental moment in franchise history. Vlad has been part of our Blue Jays family since he was 16 years old and has captured the heart of our city and country,” said Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro in a statement. “There are very few in the game today that can say they have played for more than two decades with the same team, and we are immensely grateful Blue Jays fans will get to see Vlad finish his career where it all began. The name Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will forever be synonymous with the Toronto Blue Jays.”

The deal laps the field for the largest in Blue Jays history, blowing George Springer’s six-year, $150 million deal out of the water and resets the clock on this organization.

Guerrero’s contract drama has hung over the Blue Jays for years now, but that spotlight grew brighter when Guerrero arrived in Spring Training with a deadline of February 18 -- the first day of full-squad workouts -- as a deadline for negotiations. A story of this magnitude doesn’t go into hibernation, though, and it only grew throughout camp as numbers and valuations leaked out, often in Spanish-language interviews from Guerrero himself.

• Jays' tenacious pursuit of Vlad Jr. extension ends with massive deal

Finally, everyone can exhale. Guerrero represented the next great hope for baseball in Toronto when he debuted in 2019 as the No. 1 prospect in the game, but with free agency looming at the end of this season and not a postseason win to show for this era, there was so much anxiety and pressure leaning on this season. Now, we can finally stop fearing the tragic ending and begin to look at the future of the Blue Jays again.

“I love our Blue Jays fans; they have supported me my whole career and made me feel appreciated every day,” said Guerrero in a statement. “My family and I have a special connection to our second home in Toronto, and I feel fortunate to carry on my dad’s legacy and represent an entire country. I am very proud to wear the maple leaf and to be part of an organization with the same goal -- to bring World Series championships back to Canada.”

Guerrero now has a chance to be a lifelong Blue Jay, something that Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins have both spoken about in recent months. This organization has known many stars, but so few of them spent their entire careers in Canada. Roy Halladay was traded later in his career to the Phillies. Jose Bautista was a late bloomer who bounced around the league before and after his time in Toronto. Even Dave Stieb pitched a season for the White Sox.

Fifteen years from now, we could be looking back on Guerrero’s stats and see just one team. He’s already the face of the franchise in the present sense -- the player fans are most excited to see each night at the stadium or on their TV screens -- but this extension gives Guerrero the opportunity to be something so much more than that.

The Blue Jays have been aggressively chasing the biggest names in baseball in recent years. First it was Shohei Ohtani, which turned into the most dramatic free-agent pursuits we’ve seen in North American professional sports in years. Then came Juan Soto, Roki Sasaki and others. The Blue Jays are finally spending like the big-market team they are -- baseball’s only team with a country behind them -- and it’s finally worked.

This is bigger than Vladdy. The end of the 2025 season felt like a potential off-ramp if this didn’t go well. Bo Bichette is a free agent, too, along with Chris Bassitt. At the end of 2026, Kevin Gausman and Daulton Varsho are free agents while José Berríos holds a player option. A poor season in ‘25 could have drastically altered the trajectory of this franchise, but that’s the beauty of extending Guerrero. Now, the pedal has to stay on the floor. It’s the only option.

While Guerrero’s ‘25 season isn’t off to a hot start, he reestablished himself in ‘24 as one of the most feared hitters in baseball, flashing the talent that would have won him the AL MVP Award in ‘21 if it weren’t for Ohtani’s prowess. He’s grown up with this organization, from the baby-faced, 16-year-old prospect out of the Dominican Republic to a matured, more vocal leader in this clubhouse.

For years, Vladdy represented hope. Just when it felt like that hope was about to burn out, it’s been reignited now, brighter than ever, and the future of the Blue Jays’ organization is tied to Guerrero now… for good.