Teams calling Blue Jays to trade for Guerrero Jr., Bichette: report
With some fans begging the Toronto Blue Jays to make a major transaction, it appears that other teams across the league are greasing the wheels on a move.
According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, teams are looking to make a deal with Toronto for two of their most notable stars.
“The Blue Jays are getting calls on 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as well as [shortstop Bo] Bichette, according to major-league sources who were granted anonymity in order to speak freely,” Rosenthal wrote in an article today.
Guerrero Jr. has a batting average of .279 with 706 hits, 130 home runs, 404 RBIs and 377 runs scored in 660 games for the Blue Jays since coming into the league in 2019. He finished second in American League MVP voting in 2021, while making three All-Star games in the process. Meanwhile, Bichette has a .299 batting average with 653 hits, 89 home runs, 312 RBIs and 331 runs scored in 528 games for the Blue Jays in his career. He made his debut two months after Guerrero Jr. and made two All-Star Games of his own.
Rosenthal did add the caveat that Toronto shouldn’t have much reason to move either player if they’re committed to winning next season. With the team in pursuit of their first playoff victory since 2016 and their first World Series in three decades, trading one (or two) of their best players would be a risky bet in order to pursue that goal.
“However, it makes little sense for the Jays to move either star when they are under pressure to win and believed to be pursuing Shohei Ohtani,” Rosenthal added. “Granted, neither Bichette nor Guerrero has signed a contract extension, and both are two years away from free agency. But good luck to the Jays finding a replacement at Bichette’s level for 2024, or one with the promise of Guerrero.”
The Blue Jays kick off their 2024 season in 121 days, when they travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays on March 28.
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