Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Instagram activity, ex-GM's prediction will fire up Yankees fans

As if the Rafael Devers/Alex Bregman/Alex Cora Royal Rumble in Boston wasn't enough this weekend ("You wanna play third base? YOU WANNA PLAY THIRD BASE? GO ASK CHAIM!"), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays gave Yankees fans an added bonus, like a Snickers at the end of an already pleasant rainbow.

Guerrero and the Blue Jays did not come to an extension ahead of the slugger's self-imposed deadline, and in the press availability afterwards, he was less than committal to Toronto's future. If it wasn't obvious before Juan Soto's mega-deal, it certainly was after: the Jays had done too much damage to their immediate future for Guerrero Jr. to even consider opting out of exploring free agency.

The Red Sox and Mets have already been mentioned as possible landing spots, and the star's rumored "desire" to play for Boston has them firmly entrenched in the conversation, despite recent long-term trepidation. It's also hard to ignore Guerrero's 2023 comments indicating he'd never join the Yankees, even if they offered him the most money.

If you ask former GM Steve Phillips, though, he envisions Guerrero acquiescing a bit there. Phillips predicted this week that the Yankees, facing a first base vacancy next offseason, would make the ex-Jay their big fish and pair him with Aaron Judge. Forget Munetaka Murakami. Probably forget Kyle Tucker, too? This would be one hell of a splash.

Now, all we need is more people saying it.

Yankees Rumors: Could Vladimir Guerrero Jr be 2026 free agent target?

Even better? An aggregation of that prediction, with a snappy jersey swap, caught Vladdy's eye. The Blue Jays' first baseman recently liked an Instagram post sending him to the Yankees, though even this dream acknowledged the odds are "slim".

Yes, we know he liked one in a Red Sox jersey, too. But that one included Juan Soto as well, and he's a Met now! So ... irrelevant! Hopefully!

The Yankees coming out on top here remains less likely than the Mets winning the $500 million bidding (and it's hard to be sure the Yanks should do that for a roller coaster player like Vladdy, either. The talent is undeniable when he's right, though. Even if he loses 15 homers a year once the Yankees are removed from his schedule, it's still a joy to dream. Keep dropping those Snickers at the end of the rainbow.