At the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays made an interesting decision to retain Bo Bichette during a strong down year. Right after the deadline, he had his season end early with a fractured finger, but despite all that, teams are still interested in acquirring the young shortstop.
Ken Rosenthal has reported that the Blue Jays are indeed receiving calls about Bichette after Jon Morosi reported that any inquiries about the shortstop would be an easy no. The acquistion of Andres Gimenez must have changed things, but it could make sense being the last year of his contract.
Blue Jays are once again fielding calls for Bo Bichette. Will they trade him?
Rosenthal also notes that Toronto is working towards extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr.. With the amount of money Juan Soto got, Guerreros’ value has skyrocketed, making it harder to retain both him and Bichette. Moving on him from and getting something back is definitely a realistic route for them to take.
Coming off a career worst offensive season, Bichettes value has dropped a bit, but if Toronto feels that they have no shot at resigning him next offseason or extending him, they should move on, even if it means selling low.
Last year, Bichette batted .225 with just four home runs and 31 driven in across 81 games. His OPS reached .598, which came from an on-base percentage of .277 and a slugging percentage of .322. His wRC+ was 29 points below the leagues average at 71, but his strikeout rate remained low at 19%.
Those numbers are obviously not great, but what he has accomplished in prior years is where a lot of his value comes from. Another team that has a little more financial flexibility may take him off of the Blue Jays hands.
Only time will tell if Toronto actually does respond to these calls and follow through with a trade involving Bichette. Selling low on him could be very possible for the Blue Jays front office. Signing Alex Bregman is also in the mix, which could expedite a trade of Bichette.
This article was originally published on jaysjournal.com as MLB insider reports Blue Jays are once again ‘fielding offers’ on Bo Bichette.