Blue Jays' Bo Bichette reveals his thoughts on staying in Toronto

When the Toronto Blue Jays locked up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a record-setting contract earlier this season, it was one of the franchise’s biggest pieces of off-field business now sorted.

Ever since Guerrero came into the league in 2019, he has been part of a youthful roster looking to make a splash in the American League.

And while it might’ve been a rockier road than many expected, the Blue Jays currently sit with the best record in the AL entering Friday, with hopes of a deep playoff run ahead.

The biggest other piece of that young 2019 core that remains on the roster is shortstop Bo Bichette, who made his MLB debut just a few months after Guerrero.

Currently having a chance to go into free agency this winter, Bichette spoke glowingly this week of the Toronto fanbase, and more quotes have now surfaced about his future plans.

“My priorities have always been to win, to be part of an organization that has that same goal in mind, and I want to play in an exciting environment. We’re checking all those boxes,” Bichette said this week, per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. “It’s a special time right now, and the fans are definitely making their case known.”

Bichette is batting .280 with 118 hits, 13 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 49 runs scored in 100 games this season. He’s sixth on the team with a 1.8 WAR as per Baseball Reference, while his .765 OPS is fifth among regular batters. It’s been a fine season, but perhaps not quite at the level that earned him MVP votes in 2021 and 2023, the two years he’s made the All-Star Game in his career.

While Bichette’s long-term future in Toronto might be up in the air, it seems like the best thing the Blue Jays can do to convince him to stay is to keep on winning games.