Jays GM: Bichette Trade “An Easy No”

The Blue Jays have no interest in rebuilding after last place this year. Toronto made it clear by only trading rentals or role players (i.e Isiah Kiner-Falefa) at the deadline. As part of the renewed effort to contend, general manager Ross Atkins shot down the possibility of one Bo Bichette trade.

Asked by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi how he would respond to inquiries from other teams about Bichette, Atkins said it would be “an easy no” from the Jays’ end (X link). The GM has downplayed the possibility of moving his shortstop or infield mate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a few occasions in recent months.

It is a logical position for the team. As Bichette enters the final year of his contract, a trade this winter would be to sell at the lowest point of his value. The two-time All-Star is coming off a terrible season. He hit .225/.277/.322 over 336 plate appearances. Bichette had three injured roster stops and underwent surgery after the season to treat a broken right middle finger. The Jays will be hoping for a return to the form he showed between 2019-23, when he was among the best shortstops in baseball.

Bichette is under contract for $16.5MM next year. It is the final season of the three-year deal he signed to buy out of his arbitration window. A rebound would position him to cash in as a free agent entering his age-28 campaign. He and Guerrero are both up for free agency next winter. It looks highly unlikely that the Jays will keep either player long-term.

As they try to turn things around in 2025, the Jays will pencil Bichette back at shortstop. They will need to make other moves to improve after a 74-88 showing. Upgrading a bullpen that ranked 29th in MLB with a 4.82 ERA is the most obvious target area. Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes that the Jays will also be involved in the starting pitching market.

Toronto projects for a start five of Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodríguez. Right handed Jake Blossacquired from the Astros in Yusei Kikuchi deadline deal, may be the top depth option. It’s not a bad group, but Rodríguez and Francis haven’t pitched full seasons as starters. Adding a more established starter could have a trickle-down impact on the ‘pen, as Rodríguez worked in both capacities and could excel in a multi-inning relief role if the Jays added to their rotation.

On the position player side, the biggest question is away from home. Toronto doesn’t have a clear starter in left field. George Springer is penciled in as the best option in right field, but he’s coming off a gap year at age 35. Daulton Varsho is the ticket to the lion’s share of playing time in center field. They will likely need a short break while Varsho recovers from rotator cuff surgery in September. Atkins told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and Keegan Matheson (X link), that the Jays don’t expect Varsho to be ready for Opening Day, although it doesn’t sound like he’ll be out too far into the season.

Indicating that the Jays likely won’t make a big move behind the plate, Atkins told Bastian and Matheson that adding a catcher “isn’t a priority” (X link). Toronto is set to give the majority of playing time to Alejandro Kirk. They recovered Tyler Heineman via late-season waiver claims to serve as Kirk’s backup.

However, it appears they are open to adding at either second or third base. Nicholson-Smith reports that the Jays have shown early interest in the top free agent second baseman, Gleyber Torres. The Yankees allowed Torres to hit the market without a qualifying offer so a signing team doesn’t lose draft compensation. There is a wide range of free agent results for Torres, who hits free agency after a relatively poor year. Most of that can be traced to a dismal April, when he hit well from May onward and continued to produce during New York’s pennant run. He has a case for three or potentially four years going into his age-28 season, but the infielder could prefer a shorter scheme to return to free agency after a better overall walk year.

Toronto has a collection of in-house options at second base, none of which have a ton of MLB experience. Will Wagner is probably the internal favorite after impressing in 24 games to close out his rookie season. Leo Jimenez, Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement could also fight for playing time. Torres brings a higher floor than that group. Atkins and his staff will consider whether they want to allocate significant resources to the capstone when they have so many other areas to address over the next few weeks.