As the year comes to a close, Blue Jays Nation is reflecting on the year that was and revisiting some of the top articles from 2024.
The #3 article in our countdown comes from Ian Hunter’s article about how the Toronto Blue Jays would entertain a trade for their shortstop, Bo Bichette. This rumour came from a report by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale in mid-August.
The Toronto Blue Jays are expected to entertain trade offers this winter for shortstop Bo Bichette, who has no plans to stay in Toronto once he’s a free agent after the 2025 season.
Nightingale is one of many journalists who have uttered the words “trade” and “Bichette”. The countdown article on Friday looked at Nightengale reporting that Bichette would welcome a trade before the 2024 trade deadline. Moreover, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported a little over a week ago that the Blue Jays are open to trading Bichette, albeit for a high price.
After a disastrous 2024 season, Bichette’s trade value has never been lower. Last season, he slashed .225/.277/.322 with a career-low four home runs in 336 plate appearances. His season was marred by two separate stints on the Injured List due to a calf injury. When he returned late in the season, a fluke injury while taking grounders saw him hit the Injured List once again with a broken finger.
Bichette’s value may be down around the league, and it wouldn’t really make sense for the Jays to trade him, as he was great in the seasons before 2024. From 2021 until 2023, Bichette slashed .298/.339/.476 with 73 home runs in 1,988 plate appearances. If he can find the same success next season, it could be a determining factor in whether or not the Jays make the postseason.
Of course, Bichette is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, as is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. If the Jays can find the right deal, it may be well worth it, such as a young controllable player and a top 10 prospect. Other than that, it may just be best to see how the season plays out and hope he does well for a big trade at the trade deadline, or perhaps even the Jays could make the postseason.