Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract proves the Royals got a bargain with Bobby Witt Jr.

In the early hours of the morning, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of the The Athletic took to X to announce a deal that would send shockwaves through the baseball world, as the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly locked up their superstar first baseman in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year deal worth $500 million.

The 26-year-old was set to be one of the prized names in free agency in 2026 after him and the Jays failed to meet Guerrero's February deadline for an extension before the 2025 season began. Obviously that's not the case anymore.

Now, looking at this deal from a Royals perspective, they were never in the market for a big-time free-agent fish like Guerrero. And given the presence of Vinnie Pasquantino at first base, the need wouldn't have been pressing for Kansas City even if a half-a-billion dollar deal were in the cards.

However, what Guerrero's mammoth extension does do is make Kansas City's recent deal for their superstar look like a steal.

The Royals got a bargain with Bobby Witt Jr.

When Witt signed his huge contract ahead of the 2024 season, it not only marked the largest contract in club history, but a long term commitment to the competitive baseball in Kansas City.

Since then, we've seen a few massive contracts issued across the league and each time this occurs J.J. Picollo and the front office look like they landed the deal of the century for their MVP-caliber shortstop.

Looking at Guerrero's extension, not only does Witt's $288.7 million pale in comparison to the $500 million he'll get, but the Royals have far more room for roster flexibility in the immediate future.

For the first three seasons of Witt's deal (2024-2026) he'll make under $15 million per year. Then that escalates to roughly $20.1 million in '27, $31.1 million in '28 and $36.1 million in '29 and '30.

By this point in time Witt will be 31 and eligible for string of opt-outs from 2031 to 2034, all priced at $35 million a piece if he opts in, before the deal switches to club options in his age 35 to 37 seasons.

Should he opt-in after the first seven years of his deal, the Royals will get their top-tier shortstop still in his prime at a relatively inexpensive $35 million price tag, in comparison to some other names on the market. But it will still likely be lucrative enough to at least give Witt something to think about when that time comes.

Should he opt-in to all four of his player options, then the Royals would have an identical 14-year term to Guerrero's. They key difference though, they would have the option of whether to keep their aging star at the point, whereas the Blue Jays wouldn't with no reported opt-outs in Guerrero's deal, as per MLB insider Jon Heyman.

Could the Royals lose Witt in the six years? Yes. However, the flexibility in both term and finances is worth it's weight in gold for a smaller market organization.

And we haven't even talked about the on-field product yet.

Both Witt Jr. and Guerrero Jr. are no doubt two of the leagues premier offensive talents, but after last season, it's fair to say Witt has the edge here after his runner-up finish in AL MVP voting.

Last season he bested his competitor to the north across the board in AVG, OPS, HR and RBI. Then, his shimmering defense to pair with his offensive advantage earned him a 10.4 fWAR, nearly double that of Guerrero's 5.4 posting.

The Blue Jays certainly have to be ecstatic about locking up their face of the franchise, and rightfully so after missing out on so many top-end names in free agency in recent offseasons. However, that doesn't mean the Royals aren't buzzing themselves with the deal they pulled off to keep their superstar in Kauffman Stadium for years to come.