The Toronto Blue Jays placed shortstop Bo Bichette on the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday, casting doubt on the future of a potential trade deadline candidate if the Blue Jays decide to sell.
Bichette, 26, has a strained right calf that will keep him out for at least the next ten days. Toronto has promoted infielder Orelvis Martinez from Triple-A and will have him available for Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
At 35-37, the Blue Jays sit 14 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East and five games behind the Minnesota Twins for the third and final AL wild card spot.
With 37 games remaining until the trade deadline, it’s logical that the Blue Jays would be hesitant to sell players from their coveted core. Although they recently traded utility infielder Cavan Biggio to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a minor league pitcher, general manager Ross Atkins stated last month that trading Bichette or star infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. “wouldn’t make any sense.”
Nonetheless, the Blue Jays are in a perilous position in the standings, with three teams ahead of them in their division and two teams to pass in the wild-card standings. A team facing a five-game disadvantage might quickly move into or out of contention.
Against this environment, reports about Bichette as a potential trade prospect are understandable. Bichette, a two-time All-Star, entered the 2024 season with a.299 career batting average, 89 home runs, and 51 stolen bases in 528 games.
Bo, the son of former big league slugger Dante Bichette, led an enviable young nucleus of second-generation players that included Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Biggio, the son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. The trio was expected to propel the Blue Jays back into contention.
However, in recent years, the Jays have failed to meet expectations. The next postseason series victory will be the franchise’s first since 2016. Their next AL East title would be their first since 2015.7
If the Blue Jays fall short again this season, a full-fledged rebuilding attempt may be out of the question, given Guerrero and Bichette are still under team control for one more year before becoming free agents.
Even before his injury, Bichette’s performance could have hampered his trade market prospects. Bichette has been struggling for the better part of the season.In 66 games, he has 237 hits, four home runs, and 28 RBIs. Statcast’s Out Above Average ranks Bichette as a below-average shortstop.
Bichette has been sidelined with a calf ailment since Friday. According to MLB.com, he continued to test the injury with baserunning and agility drills, but the Blue Jays eventually decided an IL stint was necessary. Because the move is retroactive, Bichette is free to return in a week if he feels better.
Upon his return, Bichette will attempt to regain form to help the Jays in their playoff push, if not provide other teams a compelling cause to call Toronto with a trade offer.
Leave a Reply