Blue Jays General Manager Says Team Wants to Extend Free Agent Star

The Toronto Blue Jays say they want to keep their other major impending free agent star around for the long haul as well.

Apr 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (11) hits a two-run single against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays made headlines across the baseball world over the last week when they announced the extension with their superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. which made him the third-highest paid player in the history of the sport.

A 14-year deal worth $500 million that is likely to keep Guerrero Jr. in Toronto for the remainder of his career, the franchise did what many did not expect and forked up the cash to officially establish a face of the franchise for the foreseeable future.

Now, they say their next goal in terms of impending free agents is to keep Guerrero Jr.'s teammate since entering the league together in 2019 in the fold as well.

"The interest is definitely there," general manager Ross Atkins said of the possibility of bringing star shortstop Bo Bichette back as well via Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. "It’s also our vision for [Guerrero Jr. and Bichette] to continue to play together. We will do everything in our power to see if we can line up."

Bichette, now 27 years old, is just getting started on the last season of his three-year, $33 million deal which bought out his final three years of arbitration for the shortstop.

Bichette for the first five seasons of his career looked to be well on the way to secure a massive nine-figure type deal, though his 2024 season has thrown a massive wrench into things.

After performing like an All-Star caliber player since his debut late in the 2019 season, Bichette played just 81 games last year and was absolutely dreadful when he was on the field.

In his first 528 games from 2019-2023, Bichette slashed .299/.340/.487 with 89 home runs including three seasons of more than 20. In 2024 however, he slashed .225/.277/.322 with just four long balls.

Entering this season healthy, Bichette appears to be getting back on the right track, but the ugly 2024 campaign seemingly complicates tremendously what kind of deal he commands versus as well as what the Blue Jays are willing to offer him.

With Guerrero Jr. now comfortably locked up and Bichette having expressed a previous desire to stay in Toronto with the rest of his career alongside his first baseman, this on paper should not be complicated.

If Bichette and his representation try to negotiate as if the 2024 season didn't happen however, it's going to make things difficult.

With both sides ultimately having the same goal though, it would be a surprise at this point to see Bichette wind up playing elsewhere.