Bo Bichette opens up about his future with the Toronto Blue Jays
After making one of the biggest moves in franchise history, the clock is now ticking for the Toronto Blue Jays to make the next one.
Late on Sunday night, it was shared that the Jays had finally signed Guerrero Jr. to a reported US$500-million contract over 14 years, by far the biggest in franchise history and one of the five biggest deals ever in professional sports.
While one of the foundation pieces of their organization’s long-term future appears to be set, fans are still curious about one more major possible contract.
With Guerrero unable to actually comment on the deal before it’s expected to be made official next week following a physical in Toronto, much of the attention has since shifted to his longtime Blue Jays teammate, shortstop Bo Bichette, who could become a free agent this offseason.
Both players have been intertwined virtually their whole career, with Guerrero signing with the team as an international free agent in 2015 and Bichette being drafted a year later in 2016. Both players progressed through the minor leagues as teammates at relatively the same rate and later made their major league debuts in 2019 just a few months apart.
Speaking to Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae from Boston’s Fenway Park prior to Toronto’s 6-2 win over the Red Sox on Monday, Bichette shared that while he wants to stay with the Blue Jays past 2025, he’s still waiting to start those negotiations with the Blue Jays.
“[It] has been my goal since I was a kid… to be with one organization my whole career and building a winning culture with Vladdy,” Bichette told Mae. “But nothing’s on the table right now.”
The statement echoes earlier thoughts from Bichette in spring training, who told Mae in February that he was still waiting for the Blue Jays’ management to sit down with him.
The 26-year-old is coming off a down season with the Jays as he only recorded four home runs and 31 RBIs in 81 games last year, while batting just .225. But as a two-time All-Star who led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022, Bichette has rebounded to start the season, hitting .277 and picking up 13 hits in the team’s first 11 games this year.
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