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At 58-66, the Toronto Blue Jays could use a silver lining. Luckily, shortstop Bo Bichette is on the mend.
Bichette is progressing in his rehab, via MLB.com's Keegan Matheson.
“The #BlueJays expect Bo Bichette (calf) to start running in the next 2-3 days, John Schneider says. He’s already doing some hitting and defensive drills in Dunedin,” Matheson reported.
Bichette, who hasn't played since July 19, has a career-low .223/.276/.321 slash line with four homers and 30 RBI. However, the 26-year-old's return gives the Blue Jays the chance to audition him for possible trade offers this winter.
Bichette won't re-sign with Toronto after the 2025 campaign, via USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
“The Toronto Blue Jays are expected to entertain trade offers this winter for shortstop Bo Bichette, who has no plans to stay in Toronto once he’s a free agent after the 2025 season,” Nightengale wrote.
What could the Blue Jays fetch for Bichette?
A Bo Bichette trade could help the Blue Jays rebuild
While Bichette's numbers have tanked this year, he's only one season removed from a .306/.339/.475 campaign. The sixth-year veteran also led the AL with 191 and 189 hits in 2021 and '22, respectively.
Bichette's calf ailment took him off the trade market for this past deadline on July 30, but there should still be interest for him in the winter, via FanSided's Eric Treuden.
“Speculatively speaking, the Dodgers should once again be interested in the offseason, with the Brewers (who are set to lose Willy Adames to free agency in a few months) being other possibilities, but it's going to be a matter of which team is willing to gut the farm,” Treuden said. “Struggles or not, the Blue Jays do not have to move Bichette, so they're going to ask for a lot in return.”
If Bichette goes on a heater to end the season, Toronto could get a decent haul of prospects from a contender. The organization could use a boost to a farm system that ranks just 24th in the league and has no top 100 prospects, via MLB.com.
Poaching minor-leaguers from the Dodgers would be particularly useful, as they have the fifth-best system with five top-100 prospects. Teenage shortstops Joendry Vargas, Emil Morales, and Kellon Lindsey would all be good options for a long-term plan at the position for the Blue Jays.
While Toronto could be outside contenders in the Juan Soto sweepstakes this offseason, expect it to prioritize long-term moves as it continues to blow up the team.
