Star Shortstop Bo Bichette Named Blue Jays Most Interesting Trade Deadline Chip
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Thanks to a recent hot streak, the Toronto Blue Jays own a 35-30 record and are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for second place in the American League East division.
Having gone 8-1 in their last nine games before a loss at the hands of the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, the Jays are one of the hottest teams in the sport.
Their tie with Tampa Bay extends to a split of all three wild card spots with the Twins there as well, but the Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals are all within a game and a half.
It promises to be a tight race for the wild card spots to the finish, and it's something that could complicate whether Toronto becomes a buyer or seller ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline.
Will the Blue Jays Buy or Sell at the MLB Trade Deadline?
The next week of game action is absolutely crucial in determining which direction the franchise takes, and that decision itself is a big one.
The pressure to win this year due to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s pending free agency is gone with his monstrous extension, but the team also ideally would not waste a shot at a playoff run before it kicks in.
Either way, it seems the writing is on the wall that this year will be the last one in which longtime shortstop Bo Bichette wears the team's colors, and whether he's sold off for futures or current help, he could be moved at the deadline regardless.
In naming every team's most intriguing trade chip, MLB.com reporter Manny Randhawa listed Bichette as his pick for Toronto.
"Will the Jays be buyers? Sellers? Both? Neither? It’s tough to say," Randhawa wrote. "Bichette, in the final year of his contract, is coming off a difficult, injury-marred 2024 campaign... A former All-Star who led the AL in hits in 2021 and 2022 could bring a nice haul as Toronto pursues a postseason return."
It seems like the most logical path forward would be to package Bichette and a prospect to bring in a starting pitcher, ideally one with team control beyond this year.
The Jays are hitting well and getting great relief efforts from their bullpen, but Toronto ranks 26th in MLB with a 4.60 ERA from its starting pitching.
That won't win you many games in October, and a combination of Bichette and a prospect could entice a team with a surplus of starters to move a quality one for help now and in the future.
Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.