With roughly two months until the July 30 trade deadline, speculation has begun over which players could be on the move. The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the most disappointing teams so far behind a 22-26 record and last-place showing in the American League East.
The Blue Jays’ struggles can be attributed to several key players underperforming, including Bo Bichette, who is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season.
Bichette’s name came up in trade rumors this past offseason, but the Blue Jays ultimately held on to him. The Los Angeles Dodgers were among the teams linked to him as they looked for a potential upgrade at shortstop.
Now with the Blue Jays’ playoff chances looking slim, an American League executive told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com that Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be on the move at the deadline:
“I don’t think they’re opposed to it,” the executive said. “They’ve talked to teams about it. The asks were ridiculous, but I think they’re going to try to retool a lot, and using those guys to get pieces may be the way to do it.”
Bichette and Guerrero are both in the midst of down years, but teams reportedly believe they could benefit from a change of scenery:
“Neither of them are off to great starts, but other teams might view them as change-of-scenery guys,” an NL executive said. “Everyone knows what these guys can do, but that roster might just need a change.”
It isn’t clear if the Dodgers would show interest in Bichette again — or any shortstop for that matter — considering that Mookie Betts has made a transition to the position with more positives than negatives overall.
However, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman recently said the team has not decided if they will pursue another shortstop at the deadline. If they do, Betts could move back to second base, which in turn would take away playing time from Gavin Lux.
Bichette is hitting just .233/.289/.349 with nine doubles, one triple, three home runs and 19 RBI in 45 games this season. However, he is a two-time All-Star and received MVP votes in three consecutive seasons from 2021-2023.
Bo Bichette enjoys playing at Dodger Stadium
Bichette played at Dodger Stadium for the first time during his rookie season in 2019 and called it one of his favorite spots to visit.
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