Not Vlad Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, Blue Jays’ other huge free agent opens up on future in Toronto

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What do franchise cornerstones Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette have in common with the man who could ultimately decide whether they walk to the potential riches of free agency following the 2025 season?

The two Blue Jays superstars are in the final year of their contracts — just like the big baseball boss himself, team president and CEO Mark Shapiro.

In an interview during the final week of spring training, Shapiro confirmed that his contract with the Jays expires after this season, which would be after the conclusion of his 10th full campaign with the club.

What’s next remains to be seen.

While reluctant to get into specifics, Shapiro suggested there have yet to be serious talks about an extension and offered no timetable as to when that might happen.

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“It’s never a topic that I shy away from, but it’s not a topic that I focus on,” Shapiro said.

To be clear, Shapiro expressed no apparent desire or urgency to leave the Jays, where his huge success on the business side for team owner Rogers Communications can’t be overstated.

Under his watch — and indeed his impetus — Shapiro has overseen close to $500-million worth of renovations at the Rogers Centre as well as the development of the team’s state-of-the-art player development complex in Dunedin, Fla.

Almost to a man, players are thrilled with their accoutrements at the Rogers Centre while fans have flocked to the modernized dome and its social gathering areas.

With all he’s accomplished, does Shapiro spend time peering into the future as to what the next step might be, both with the on-the-field product and the business side?

“I never think about that,” Shapiro said when he asked him if he expects to be in Toronto for the foreseeable future. “Honestly, I never really do that.

“The best answer I can give you is I was in Cleveland for 24 years. This is my 10th season here. I’m clearly not someone that jumps around. I’m only focused on what I can control.”

Still, Shapiro’s status with the team is relevant on a number of fronts. During his decade with the Jays, he has seen Rogers CEO Edward Rogers become more involved in the team’s direction and more committed to winning. The money that ownership has spent on payroll and renovations in the past three years is ample evidence of that.

Is Shapiro waiting for the right time to negotiate an extension? Will part of that impetus be based on how the team performs, particularly early in this critical 2025 season that opens on Thursday at the Rogers Centre?

Rewinding to the Guerrero-Bichette situation, Shapiro’s role in any negotiations that have happened and will take place going forward has been critical. So how does that pair’s future in Toronto tie in with his own?

Left unsaid, beyond performance in what is seen as a pivotal season for the franchise, are the unknowns.

The shape of the Toronto sporting landscape is about to have a massive shift with Rogers Communications seizing control of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. That will make Edward Rogers the biggest player in Canadian sports — by far.

Is there a bigger role for Shapiro in the hierarchy of that massive sporting conglomerate? The 57-year-old publicly has dismissed any suggestions of that when asked.

As for his relationship with both Rogers and the company’s braintrust, Shapiro has nothing but positive reviews. The willingness of ownership to spend to the CEO’s vision has been a strong synergy.

“I don’t spend a lot of time asking for compliments or asking for evaluations,” Shapiro said of his working relationship with Rogers and the company’s board. “I know how to evaluate myself at this point in my career and what we need to do to be successful.

“And I want that for Edward. I want that for his family and I want that for the executives there who have believed in us and supported us.”

That relationship has been fruitful for the Blue Jays, of course. And to Shapiro himself.

Like so much with the team at present, the next steps are uncertain.