One year, ago, the Toronto Blue Jays were playing in the World Series. This season, they missed the playoffs in their entirety. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. played a big part in the team disappointing. The first baseman is clearly one of the best players in MLB, but he had a down year from a numbers perspective.

The perennial MVP candidate batted just .263 with nine home runs and 56 RBIs. Excluding the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, those were career lows across the board. To make matters worse, Guerrero's 14-year, $500 million contract had just kicked in. The first baseman took responsibility for his struggles this season and addressed the pressures of playing under a mega deal.

“I'm taking big responsibly on this year. I know I've got to get better,” Guerrero said. “I've got to obviously put up better numbers to help the team win. But it is what it is. Just go to the offseason and keep working hard, prepare myself again, and be ready for next year.”

“Every at-bat that I fail, I think about my contract because I know all these people that go to the games, they pay to see me being successful, to do something good every at-bat,” Guerrero said. ” Every time I think about that, about my contract.”

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Guerrero followed up his statements with some controversial remarks about being paid for what he had done in the past, not what he will do in the future.

“I want people to understand one thing,” Guerrero said. “The money they gave me wasn't for what I'm going to do. It was for what I already did.”

Guerrero's statement had some believing he got his money and settled for where he was at. Vernon Wells thinks otherwise.

“I heard Vlad Jr. comments,” Wells tweeted. “You do get paid for what you have done up to that point BUT with the exception that that will continue with some natural ups and downs. I didn't take his comments to mean he doesn't care and doesn't want to be better than he was this year. I just don't think he articulated it very well. I think he battled a lot this year including being banged up, the pressure of living up to the contract, which is nearly impossible but I think with this year behind him, he will learn and be better because of it.”