Throughout the offseason, CBS Sports MLB experts break almost anything by batting every week around the Roundtable. Latest news, historical questions, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of things. Last week I chose my favorite offseason moves.. This week we plan to tackle the future of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Which team will Vlad Jr. appear on the first day of 2026?
RJ Anderson: I think we can discuss the Blue Jays, Cubs, Nationals, Giants and other clubs. I have a little more wall off the wool answer to spice things up: Phillies. They have a lot of money from books this winter, including people from Kyle Schwarber and JT Relmut. The former exit could potentially create options along with Bryce Harper, and perhaps opens a base for a new face. The Phillies seem willing to spend money all the time, and Dave Dombrowski is not someone who doesn’t know how to pawn for a bat first profile. I’m not saying that it’s particularly likely or something, but if you squint, you’ll see the path for the Phillies to appear this winter and land Guerrero. You can do it.
Matt Snyder: I liked the Red Sox here at first. Assuming they have not committed to Alex Bregman in the long run, Rafael Dever will shift beyond the diamond to a base. They then agreed to a three-year deal with Bregman. That said, let’s say Bregman opts out or the Red Sox constitute their infield differently (Trevor Story moves to 2 base, Bregman becomes shortstop, and Bregman moves to 2 base) . This may still work. Maybe Triston Casas will be traded. I may be working hard, but I like the fit. Given their deep pockets, the Red Sox still don’t have a lot of long-term deals that will keep them from being the highest bidder for Guerrero’s service, and his bats will age beautifully at Fenway Park. He is already well-versed in AL East for it to become a natural transition.
Mike Axa: I really think he’s with the Blue Jays. That doesn’t necessarily mean they will extend him before the February 18th deadline – the Blue Jays may have to win a free bid war after the season – but I think he’s I think I’ll end up staying in Toronto. The Blue Jays have money to spend. Their problem is getting players to take it, and in Vlad Jr., they know that he already knows the organization, what it’s like playing in Canada, and so on, they’re going to say. I think it will help lead you to the finish. Line (similar to a huge cash bag). The Nationals are my sleeper team. They’ve done so much over the years, so they know they can spend a lot on free agency. Guerrero is young enough that his peak aligns well with cores such as CJ Abrams, Dillancrue and James Wood in Washington. He makes a lot of sense to them.
Dayn Perry: Vlad is worthy of many teams and he will be very young as free agents go. This means a fierce market. The Texas Ranger is back in spending mode as he is further removed from local broadcast troubles and will land him as the first baseman for years to come. Nathaniel Lowe’s trade with the Nationals means they have a stopgap arrangement at Jake Berger for now. He’s not a long-term solution, and Guerrero Jr. will give them a mid-way presence for the next decade or so.
