Blue Jays: How Semien’s replacement will impact Bo Bichette’s role

If the Blue Jays bring in a high-end player to replace Marcus Semien now that he’s signed with Texas, it could have a significant impact on Bo Bichette.

We saw that last year as Bichette talked about how much he learned from Semien as his keystone partner at the last press conference of the season, even getting a bit emotional. It’s clear that Semien’s presence was a very good thing for Bichette’s development as a player, and likely as a person and a big leaguer as well. I’m confident that influence wasn’t just felt by Bichette, but his close proximity certainly allowed for a unique and beneficial relationship.

Now that Semien has signed a massive seven-year, 175 million dollar contract to join the Texas Rangers, the Blue Jays will have to find a way to replace his presence in the lineup, even if that’s all but impossible to do. It’s expected that the Jays will continue their offseason shopping once a new CBA is in place and the lockout is over, and chances are that a new infielder will be pretty high on their priority list, if it’s not at the top.

There are many different ways the Blue Jays could go about addressing either second or third base, and we’ve talked about that a fair bit here at Jays Journal over the last few months. And depending on how aggressive Ross Atkins and the front office get in filling that hole, it could have an impact on the role that Bo Bichette plays in 2021, especially on offence.

I say that because I got thinking about Bichette’s place in the batting order, and where he could slot in next season. When the whole lineup was healthy, Bichette ended last season in the cleanup spot while hitting behind George Springer, Semien, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Not only was that a great RBI position for the talented shortstop to hit, but he was also well protected by Teoscar Hernandez, who generally hit fifth.

In my mind, this is probably the best spot for Bichette, but right now I’d say there’s a good chance he could move up to the second spot in the order unless the Jays find a high-end replacement for Semien. Finding yourself hitting between Springer and Vlad Jr. is a favourable position as well, and that could work out just fine in 2022 and beyond for young Bo too. However, given the aggressive approach that he’s shown at the plate, I’ve actually grown to like him as more of a cleanup hitter.

Call me old school if you like, but I would prefer to see someone with a little more patience hitting in the two-hole, especially in front of Guerrero Jr. If there’s a knock against Bichette’s work on offence at this stage of his career, it’s that his on-base percentage could improve with a bit more patience at the plate. That said, it doesn’t seem to be in his nature, and I’m not sure that the Blue Jays should try to change much about the approach from such a talented offensive weapon.

In order to keep Bichette in that type of role, the Blue Jays probably have to swing big when it comes to finding another infielder. For the sake of a visual, here’s a “perfect world” look at what that type of lineup could look like:

1- George Springer (CF)
2- Jose Ramirez (3B) or Ketel Marte (2B)
3- Vladimir Guerrero (1B)
4- Bo Bichette (SS)
5- Teoscar Hernandez (RF)
6- Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (LF)
7- Alejandro Kirk (DH)
8- Danny Jansen (C)
9- Cavan Biggio (2B/3B)

Acquiring a premium talent like Jose Ramirez or Ketel Marte would be about as close as you could get to replacing Marcus Semien, and I’d love to see the Blue Jays do just that. We have to recognize that it’s much easier said than done though, and there are no guarantees that the Cleveland Guardians or Arizona Diamondbacks will make Ramirez and/or Marte available. Even if they do, the price will be sky-high and there will be a lot of competition.

The Jays could theoretically find this type of top-two hitter on the free agent market as well, again, depending on how aggressive they plan to be. I’m not sure that I see there being a realistic fit, but players like Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, and even Freddie Freeman remain available. It would also make sense for the Blue Jays to keep tabs on free agents like Kris Bryant, or other potential trade candidates like Matt Chapman, although two two likely wouldn’t fit quite as well in the two-hole.

Regardless of how or even if Atkins and the front office replacement Semien, there is enough talent throughout the lineup to give Charlie Montoyo and the coaching staff some solid options. It’s not something that they need to worry about at the moment, but with the lockout putting a freeze on the offseason, I can’t help but think about things like this. Either way, a hitter as talented as Bo Bichette is going to find a way to contribute at an elite level, but I’m hopeful that the Jays can find a new infielder that will allow him to stay in the cleanup spot.