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The Toronto Blue Jays have been able to hold onto their division lead with a series win against the Texas Rangers, even as the rival Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees loom.
The Blue Jays can credit lots of individual performances for their strong season so far, but nothing has been more valuable than a return to top form for the franchise duo of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette.
Long seen as the cornerstones of the Blue Jays, the two position players have been excellent this year. But after Guerrero signed a $500 million extension with the team, Bichette could be in his final year in Toronto.
Bichette is slashing a stellar .297/.339/.466 with a Major League Baseball-leading 153 hits so far in his final season before the chance to become a free agent. As a result, he seems set to earn a blockbuster long-term contract moving forward.
But Curt Bishop of FanSided projected that won’t come from the Blue Jays, as the team will be scared off by his injury history and a decline in his speed.
“All signs point to Bichette moving on to a new team this coming offseason, and not just for financial reasons,” Bishop wrote. “This could mean his free agency could drag out and he could be forced to sign a shorter-term deal with more guaranteed money and possible opt-out clauses. But either way, it doesn’t appear as though he will be returning to the Blue Jays next year.”
Bichette has been remarkably healthy and productive this season, but his campaign last year could be a detriment to his next contract. He played just 81 games and posted a brutal minus-0.3 WAR.
And advanced statistics do reinforce the harsh change in his sprint speed that Bishop alluded to. Per Baseball Savant, Bichette has ranked 406 among major leaguers for sprint speed this year, a steep decline from the 289th spot last year.
As age seems to take its toll even during a great season at the plate, Bichette might see the Blue Jays preparing to move on from him after this final standout season.
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