Blue Jays Need To Figure Out What Their Plans Are With Bo Bichette
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been red-hot as of late and have pushed themselves right into contention in the American League.
For quite some time, the Blue Jays were struggling to find momentum and consistency. However, over the last month, Toronto has been playing very well and are now comfortably over .500.
Due to some of the early struggles and inconsistencies, this appeared like a team that might have considered sellers at the trade deadline. But now that they are over .500, the focus will likely shift toward becoming buyers.
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However, while the team might be looking to contend in 2025, that doesn’t change the fact they have a lot of impending free agents.
With some notable names expected to hit the open market, some hard decisions will have to be made this summer.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN (subscription required) recently wrote about the Blue Jays’ biggest priority being to figure out what the future holds for Bo Bichette.
“The Jays have the look of a fence-straddler around the deadline, adding on the margins while trying to balance near- and long-term objectives ... Down the line, the Jays could turn the position over to Arjun Nimmala. In other words, Toronto has options if an extension with Bichette isn't worked out between now and the end of July.”
It has been a much better campaign for Bichette in 2025 compared to 2024, and he is part of the reason why the team has gotten hot as of late.
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Last season, the two-time All-Star was injured and largely ineffective for the Blue Jays. He slashed .225/.277/.322 with just four home runs in 81 games played.
The numbers have been much better so far this year, with Bichette slashing .269/.314/.423 with eight home runs in 66 games.
Even though his play has improved a ton compared to last campaign, the numbers still aren’t quite up to level that they were with in his All-Star seasons. Bichette was frequently totaling an OPS north of .800, which is a number he isn’t all that close to right now.
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As a free agent at the end of the campaign, the 27-year-old will be seeking a lucrative long-term deal. However, the Blue Jays might be hesitant to invest in him similarly to what they did with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
If Bichette isn’t in the long-term plans, the argument can be made that trading him despite a desire to win makes sense.
That would be a bold decision, but could benefit the franchise in the long run if the return package is a good one.
Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.