The 2025 season is flying by, and it's still unclear whether or not shortstop Bo Bichette fits into the Toronto Blue Jays' future plans.
Bichette, 27, is already a two-time All-Star and has received Most Valuable Player votes three times. He was once viewed as half of Toronto's burgeoning offensive nucleus alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but with free agency looming, things are now much foggier.
After a major slump in 2024 and a good-not-great start to 2025, Bichette could be headed anywhere, both at the trade deadline (if the Blue Jays sell) and in free agency. Guerrero has a freshly-inked $500 million extension, and there's no telling whether the Blue Jays will be willing to meet Bichette's market price.
Amid that uncertainty, one baseball insider has identified the team with the American League's best record as a threat to lure Bichette out of Toronto.
On Wednesday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic named the Detroit Tigers, who don't have an obvious long-term answer at third base, as a top potential suitor for Bichette when he hits free agency in November.
"(Bichette will) need to pick it up some and get back to his 2021-23 form if he wants to get paid at that value, which is probably close to the six-year, $171 million offer that Bregman received from the Tigers last offseason," Bowden wrote.
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"Bichette might have to be willing to move to third base for certain interested teams like the Tigers, Yankees or Dodgers, but he should have a strong market if he plays at his accustomed level this season."
Through 48 games, Bichette is slashing .288/.335/.420, with just four home runs, but the eighth-most hits in baseball at 59 (tied with Los Angeles' Shohei Ohtani). That only amounts to a 113 OPS+, but he could make himself a lot of money by hitting for more power the rest of the way.
Detroit, after a blazing 33-17 start, looks like a team on the rise. Signing Bichette to be a long-term member of their core could pay dividends, but it remains to be seen if the Blue Jays will challenge for his services.
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