Blue Jays SS Bo Bichette Heading Toward Free Agency With A Clear Mind

Bo Bichette is healthy and happy.

And the two-time shortstop is once again a vital cog in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup following a miserable 2024 marred by injury and personal turmoil. This season, Bichette has helped the Blue Jays to the top of the American League East standings as they attempt to win their first division title since 2015.

Though the Blue Jays’ 11-game winning streak ended Wednesday with a 2-1 loss to the White Sox in Chicago, Bichette went 3 for 3 with a walk. He is hitting .279/.322/.437 with 12 home runs in 90 games.

Bichette isn’t quite back to his 2021-22 form, when he led the American League in hits in both seasons, with 191 in ’21 and 189 in ’22. However, he has significantly improved over last season when his slash line was .225/.277/.322 with four home runs in 81 games.

Bo Bichette Could Get Big Payday

Bichette is making $17.5 million this season, and the 27-year-old is setting himself up for a potentially large payday in free agency this upcoming winter. However, Bichette isn’t reveling in his bounce-back season or looking ahead to hitting the open market in November.

“Definitely, the game is more enjoyable for sure this year, but it’s a long season and a lot of things can happen,” Bichette said. “I’m happy with the way the season has played out so far, but there is a lot more to accomplish.”

Last season, a strained right calf and fractured right middle finger limited Bichette to appearing in just half of the Blue Jays’ 162 games. Bichette said his “struggles were not just injuries,” though he declined to go into much detail.

“There were a lot of different things, but it was definitely tough,” Bichette said. “It definitely was the toughest year of my career, maybe in my life, to be honest. But honestly, it just led to a lot of soul searching, seeing where I went wrong more than just baseball, but everything, in life, away from the field, all that.”

Different Attitude For Bo Bichette This Year

Some of Bichette’s struggles stemmed from his concerns about his contract status. Both Bichette and All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were two years away from free agency entering last season and were hopeful of signing long-term extensions with the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays eventually signed Guerrero to a 14-year, $500-million contract earlier this season. It appears they won’t have the money also to sign Bichette.

Bichette is aware that free agency is looming after this season, and he might not be with the Blue Jays in 2026, potentially leaving the organization that selected him in the second round of the 2016 amateur draft after graduating from high school in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Bichette also knows how the baseball business works. His father, Dante, was a major league outfielder for 14 seasons, from 1988 to 2001, during which he hit 274 home runs.

Could Bo Bichette Be Traded?

There is a slight chance that the Blue Jays will trade Bichette before the July 31 MLB trade deadline. That way, the Blue Jays would get more in return than the compensatory draft pick they would receive if he leaves as a free agent.

However, it seems highly unlikely that the Blue Jays would trade their shortstop in the middle of a pennant race.

“Speculation about my career has been going on for a few years now,” Bichette said. “Where I might be, if I’m going to be here or not, and I think in some ways that played a part in how my season went last year. This year, I don’t have the space in my mind to start worrying about that. I am genuinely just coming to the ballpark, trying to be the best player that I can be, trying to help my team win, and taking it day by day.

“It would be great if I were able to finish the season out here, and you know, get all the other stuff later,” Bo Bichette added. “But if not, whenever that happens, if it happens, I’ll take that day when it comes.”