When I thought we had it figured out, the Toronto Blue Jays might be considering some unexpected moves. Only days ago, I predicted that if they were sellers this year, Yusei Kikcuhi, Justin Turner, Yimi Garcia, and Danny Jansen would be the most likely to go. But now, bigger names are being shopped around.
It was reported that the Blue Jays are willing to part with their two biggest names, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, providing they get their asking price, which is obviously very high. With Toronto continuing to lose pace even for a Wild Card spot, this is spiralling into possibility, though we are uncertain how serious General Manager Ross Atkins is.
One of Toronto’s key challenges has been its power, or lack thereof. They currently sit tied for second-last in the long ball (39) and are 25th in Slugging (.361). This lack of taters has been a significant factor in their recent poor performance, and a lot of that stems from Guerrero and Bichette.
Guerrero’s slash line has been improving through May, but at present, he has only gone deep four times, a far cry from what he accomplished in 2021 when he won the home run title with 48 blasts. Bichette, who smacked at least 20 home runs the last three seasons, has only three and still has a bWAR under zero (-0.2). Notably, it was not until Bichette hit his third homer last night that the Jays had their first of the clean-up spot.
While they are not living up to expectations, both are picking it up. However, the question remains: Is it too late for them to turn the team’s performance around…and will they still be here?
Guerrero and Bichette are multi-time All-Stars in their mid-20s and will be free agents in 2026. Should the Jays find a willing trade partner, the haul of prospects would have to be huge, as this team is not only stating that it can’t make the playoffs in 2024 but also in 2025. If they can’t get that, selling for pennies on the dollar in 2025 makes far more sense than doing that now, especially with them both in their prime.
Although Guerrero currently has the better stats in 2024, he has been a middle-of-the-pack First Baseman the last two years offensively. His worth may not increase, and as much as I love Guerrero Jr., he is easier to replace than Bichette, a Shortstop who had twice led the AL in Hits.
The clubhouse is aware that nobody is untouchable. Veteran pitcher Kevin Gausman said it perfectly:
“The reality is if we don’t play well, this team will not be together much longer.”
Truer words were never spoken.
What the Blue Jays do in sixty days will be fascinating, and I would love to hack the text messages between Atkins and other GMs. With pitchers Jordan Romano and Chris Bassitt also seeing their contracts expiring in 2025, the Blue Jays could look very different on August 1.
Until then, touch them all!
