By Donald Laible
Before you know it, the bidding for Bo Bichette’s services will begin.
This is a really big weekend series for the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers. At the start of Friday’s game at Rogers Centre in Ontario, Canada, you have the visiting Brewers, with the best record in baseball (84–51) and in first place in the National League Central. The Blue Jays, first in the American League East (77–57), are clinging to a three-game lead over the New York Yankees. Entering the final month of the regular season, every game increases in importance, as both these clubs look to gain a higher seed for postseason positioning.
Any player injuries or distractions before or after ballgames could be detrimental to each team’s overall season finishes.
At the conclusion of Friday’s game, it is Toronto who takes Round 1, 7–2, before a crowd of 41,390. It’s been since 1993 that Blue Jays fans have celebrated a World Series championship. In Toronto’s offensive romp during Friday’s victory, Blue Jays’ homegrown shortstop extraordinaire Bichette collected two hits. His league-leading 171 hits, coupled with a .308 batting average (tied for second with Houston’s Jeremy Pena) is a must-have in Toronto’s lineup, now and through the final game of the season with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Toronto fans know the importance of Bichette for this season, and what he would mean for the foreseeable years wearing the blue and white. This past April, Blue Jays’ management showed they understood the value of another homegrown superstar, by signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million contract extension. Toronto’s first baseman is locked up with the club through 2039.
Prior to the start of the 2021 season, the Blue Jays’ president and CEO Mark Shapiro backed up the Brinks truck when signing free agent outfielder/designated hitter George Springer to a six-year, $150 million deal.
With the Blue Jays’ 66 home games this season, averaging 34,008 fans so far (second in the American League to the Yankees), luring free agents north of the border shouldn’t be a monetary issue. All MLB players are paid in United States currency. With 27 games remaining on the schedule, and hoping for success in the postseason, Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins have to have Bichette’s performances front and center on their minds.
What’s it going to take to retain Bichette in the Blue Jays’ family?
Winners of five of their last eight games, Toronto rolls on to a successful season, with Bichette at the front of the engine fueling the power. How important is Bischette in the lineup? Although the Blue Jays appeared in the American League Wild Card Series in 2020, 2022, and 2023, they haven’t won a postseason game since 2016. Last season, Toronto missed participating in the postseason. The 2024 Blue Jays finished at the bottom of their division, 20 games behind the East winning Yankees. Missing Bichette over a significant period in 2024 could have been a direct cause for the club’s overall disappointing season.
Appearing in 81 games in 2024, Bichette battled injuries that slowed his usual hitting dominance. Having led the American League in hits twice (2021 and 2022), last season Bichette batted .225, as compared to a lifetime average of .293, and .308 this season (second in the American League to Yankees’ Aaron Judge). A calf injury and broken right middle finger that hampered his play in 2024 is clearly in Bichette’s baseball rear-view mirror.
There is a plethora of anticipated free agents for MLB clubs to spend on, as soon as the final 2025 World Series game is in the books. Among the shortstops free agents pool is Tyler Wade of the San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles’ Jorge Mateo, Miguel Rojas of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bischette, 27, is the youngest of his four counterparts.
Then, there are some of MLB’s biggest draws, though still under contract with their current clubs but are expected to opt-out of their deal. Home run-hitting Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox’s third baseman Alex Bregman, and New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger—all earning $25 million or above for 2025—are expected to receive offers that will bring hefty raises. Other players owners will have to decide on are Houston Astros starting pitcher Famber Valdez and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber. With only so much money to spend, spending wisely is essential for clubs.
With Bichette, Toronto knows what they are getting. The pattern remains—win with Bichette, lose without him, as was evident in 2024. The clock is ticking for Toronto to wrap up the American League East, and possibly beyond, before the MLB clock strikes at the start of free agency season. With an eye on the league standings, and another on Bichette’s individual performances, Blue Jays’ management has an important decision to make coming up fast. Perhaps the easiest avenue to make this decision is wrapped up in a simple question—is the Blue Jays better off with or without Bo Bichette playing shortstop for them?
Related posts:
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge Headed to Injured List With Elbow Injury
Cooperstown’s Baseball Museum a Must Visit Annually for Hall of Famer Jenkins
NBCUniversal, MLB nearing three-year deal approaching $600 million, WSJ reports
Red Sox Lefty Reliever Chapman’s Ageless Arm Still Baffles Batters in Late Innings
