The Toronto Blue Jays could be willing to trade superstar shortstop Bo Bichette this offseason, according to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale also suggests that the team could try to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr., which would essentially make him the face of the franchise and the preferred choice of the two.
From Nightengale’s Sunday morning notebook:
The Toronto Blue Jays are expected to consider trade offers this winter for shortstop Bo Bichette, who does not plan to stay in Toronto once he becomes a free agent after the 2025 season.
First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is also a free agent after the 2025 season, but the Blue Jays will try to sign him before he becomes a free agent.
The Bichette scenario is intriguing for the Jays. He had a terrible season, hitting just .223 and four home runs. He was also injured several times and played in just 79 games. He is currently on the injured list with a calf injury.
So what do the Jays do? If they trade him away to rejuvenate the franchise, they would likely sell him for a low price. They could keep him through the offseason and hope he rebounds in value for a deal by next year’s trade deadline, but there’s no guarantee of that.
If they keep him and play well in the first half of next season, they might just about keep him, but then risk losing him for nothing more than a postseason compensatory pick.
How Toronto moves forward will be one of the more interesting discussion points of the upcoming offseason. The Blue Jays play the Chicago Cubs on Sunday afternoon.
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