Could these two Blue Jays be trade bait?

The Toronto Blue Jays may be forced to make some moves this season considering the situation surrounding Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Guerrero, who will be a free agent after the season, wasn't able to agree to a contract extension with the Blue Jays contract before his self-imposed deadline. Toronto will lose Guerrero for nothing if he leaves in free agency, which has led to some hypotheizing on what Guerrero's trade market would look like.

In a recent article from Bleacher Report, Guerrero Jr. and fellow free agent-to-be Bo Bichette were listed among the MLB players most likely to be traded. While their presence on the list is unfortunate, it makes sense for Toronto's front office to get assets in return for both players if they don’t see a long-term future with either of them.

Plenty of teams around the MLB will be interested in acquiring either player if they become available, but time will tell if the Blue Jays opt to trade either player. 

Guerrero, Bichette among players 'most likely to be traded' according to Bleacher Report

Any trade conversation for either player starts with the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers, as they're the true contenders in MLB and have proven that they'll spend whatever they feel is necessary to win. But that doesn't mean that there aren't other teams that would be good fits.

For Bichette, the Houston Astros make a lot of sense after they lost Alex Bregman in free agency, as do the rebuilding Los Angeles Angels, who could make Bichette the face of their new era. For Guerrero, the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals make sense, but every team will likely check in both players if they become available. That could end up working in the Blue Jays favor, however, as a bidding war would allow for Toronto to drive up their asking price for both players.

Guerrero is one of the best first basemen in MLB, and it wouldn’t be shocking if every team in the league has called the Blue Jays asking what they’d want in return for him. He'll be a free agent after the season and likely will want a contract in the $400 million range, but time will tell if a team is willing to pay to overpay with a return to bring him in for a postseason run.

While no Blue Jays fan wants to think about a world without Bichette or Guerrero, the reality is that both players could be end this season on a different team.