3 Bo Bichette trade packages the Blue Jays wouldn’t be able to turn down

In his recent media availability, Toronto Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro said, “We believe there's enough talent in place to build a contending championship caliber team next year. Had we not, we would have made a different set of decisions [at the Trade Deadline]".

But with so many needs to fill to reload for a postseason run in 2025, how can the front office improve the overall talent level of the 26-man roster as well as MLB-ready depth in the farm system?

With USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writing Sunday that the Blue Jays “are expected to entertain trade offers this winter for shortstop Bo Bichette, who has no plans to stay in Toronto once he’s a free agent after the 2025 season,” there may be a tailor-made solution brewing.

22-year-old shortstop Leo Jiménez, ranked No. 4 in the midseason update to Jays Journal's Top 30 Blue Jays Prospects, has been playing well since his July 4 call up. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays may have a stockpile of good shortstop prospects, including Arjun Nimmala (No. 3) and Josh Kasevich (No. 12) .

Absent a contract extension, Bichette will be a free agent after next season. His last season of team control comes at a reasonable $11.2M average annual value (AAV) contract for luxury tax purposes, even though he’s owed $16.5M in cash.

He’s a 26-year-old, two time All-Star who led the American League in hits in both 2021 and 2022. That’s no small feat. In Toronto’s 48-year franchise history, they’ve only had three players lead the AL in hits: Paul Molitor in 1993, Vernon Wells in 2003, and Bichette, who did it twice. Since his MLB debut on July 29, 2019, Bo ranks 8th in MLB in hits and has complied a 16.2 fWAR, which ranks him 32nd in baseball over that stretch.

However, the writing has been on the wall for sometime, especially in light of the inability of the front office and Bichette to agree to a long term contract extension. In late June, he told Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae that he would not have been been surprised at all if Toronto had moved him at the July 30 trade deadline.

Of course, as Jays Journal editor Eric Treuden wrote, “Struggles or not, the Blue Jays do not have to move Bichette [this offseason], so they're going to ask for a lot in return.”

An offer they can’t refuse?

So what trade offers for a year’s worth of Bo Bichette’s services would the Blue Jays not be able to turn down? While it’s hard to watch excellence walk out the door, Toronto hasn’t won any playoff games in the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bichette era. Perhaps it’s time to cash in their best trade chip to fill other pressing needs for 2025 and beyond?

Below, we delve into three potential packages that might extend Toronto’s competitive window even with a core that doesn’t include Bichette. We’re assuming that Jiménez can be the solution at shortstop, and that some big power bats will be signed via free agency given the likes of Juan Soto, Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernández, Cody Bellinger and Alex Bregman are potential free agents. There’s also a strong under 32-year-old starting pitching class, including Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Jack Flaherty, and the rehabbing Shane Bieber and Lucas Giolito.

As the focus is now clearly on 2025, those remaining pressing needs include MLB-ready starting pitch depth to improve upon the departed Yusei Kikuchi, an injured Alek Manoah, and the paucity of healthy prospect arms in the farm system. The Blue Jays also need impact MLB relief arms to significantly improve upon Yimi García, Trevor Richards, Tim Mayza and Nate Pearson, and provide lock down, high-leverage relief so that the bullpen isn’t “an Achilles” again in 2025; and, they need an MLB-ready catcher to replace Danny Jansen given the weak free agent class at the position.

We overlaid the competitive teams that have a potential need at shortstop in 2025 with their updated top prospects that would meet the above needs for Toronto. Instead of trading for just average prospects from a bottom ranked farm system like the Houston Astros, a year of control of Bo Bichette should be worth two top 100, MLB-ready prospects or young players who’ve already graduated to the bigs.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The positional versatility of a healthy Mookie Betts obviously complicates matters here, but with both Miguel Rojas ($5M club option) and Enrique “Kiké” Hernández (UFA) potential free agents, the Dodgers could look to solidify their roster for 2025. Rojas will be entering his age-36 season, and Bichette’s $11.5M AAV is only $2M more than the combined $9.5M the Dodgers will pay Rojas and Hernandez in 2024.

One of Betts or Bichette could shift to second base, where former top prospect Gavin Lux has struggled since returning from a devastating knee injury at the start of 2023. And with 29-year-old, two-time All Star catcher Will Smith signed through his age-38 season in 2033, they should be able to find a match with Toronto, who need an MLB-ready catcher.

Left-handed hitting catcher/outfielder Dalton Rushing (No. 36 on Baseball America’s updated top 100 prospect ranking) certainly fits the bill. The 23-year-old has slashed .274/.413/.521 for a .934 OPS across three minor league seasons. With the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City this year, he has a .935 OPS with 2 home runs in his first 41 at bats since his August 6th promotion. He’d thumped 17 home runs and 59 RBI in 281 at bats with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers.

With an overall scouting grade of 55, it’s his quick, compact left-handed swing, as well as his consistency driving the ball in the air to his pull side that excites scouts. And while his receiving and blocking skills are still works in progress, his strong arm can deter the running game.

To make it a deal the Blue Jays couldn’t refuse, after their top pitching prospect River Ryan recently had Tommy John surgery, the Dodgers would need to add one of 25-year-old RHP Bobby Miller, 27-year old RHP Landon Knack (No. 9 in BA’s ranking of the Dodger’s system) or 24-year-old LHP Justin Wrobleski (No. 4 per BA).

After breaking out in 2023 with a 3.76 ERA over 22 starts and 124.1 innings, Miller has struggled to an 8.02 ERA in his 8 starts this season, covering only 33.2 innings. He spent two months on the IL earlier this season with inflammation in his throwing shoulder, but was recently recalled from Triple-A. Knack has a 3.07 ERA in nine games (eight starts) for the Dodgers, while Wrobleski has posted a 4.05 ERA in 20 innings over four starts for LA this season.

Milwaukee Brewers

With their shortstop Willy Adames a pending free agent, the always competitive Brewers could be in the market. Bo’s 2025 AAV of $11.5M would actually come cheaper than Adames’ $12.25M AAV in 2024. And with a league worst DRS of -11 at SS season-to-date, Adames has been a liability in the field. Bichette’s DRS of -3 would actually offer an upgrade defensively for the Brew Crew. Of course, Adames’ bat is his calling card, with a wRC+ of 118, OPS+ 116, and an fWAR of 3.7 to rank 5th at the position in 2024.

To make the Blue Jays an offer they couldn’t refuse, Milwaukee would have to dig deep and offer top catching prospect Jeferson Quero (ranked No. 44 on Baseball America’s top 100 ranking), and MLB-ready RHP prospect Jacob Misiorowski (No. 64 on BA’s top 100).

The right-handed hitting Quero won the minor league Gold Glove at catcher for 2023, but has missed all of 2024 after suffering a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder in his first regular season Triple-A game in April. He underwent season-ending surgery, but should be ready for spring training in 2025 given a nine month recovery timeline. It was a freak injury: he dislocated his right shoulder in his Triple-A debut when he dove back to first base after drawing a walk in his first at bat of the season.

He’s still the top ranked prospect in the Brewers system, and like former Blue Jays top prospect Gabriel Moreno, he was signed as an international free agent from Venezuela. He’ll be starting his age-22 season next year, and has slashed .278/.350/.445 in parts of four minor league seasons to go with his sensational throwing arm.

As per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, “Quero won a well-deserved 2023 Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove Award as he’s developed into arguably the Minors’ best defensive catcher. His receiving and blocking – aided by his right-knee-down positioning – can be top-notch, and his framing can look as smooth as it gets. His arm strength and quick reactions behind the plate also helped him throw out 34.6 percent of attempted Double-A basestealers,”

Milwaukee already has one of the best catchers in MLB in 26-year-old William Contreras, a two-time All-Star and 2023 Silver Slugger Award winner who is under team control through the 2027 season. Quero should be ready to replace Jansen and share catching duties with Alejandro Kirk in 2025.

As for Misiorowski, the lanky 6-foot-7 righty was recently promoted to Triple-A in a system that has produced stellar MLB pitching like Corbin Burnes. The 22-year-old posted a 2.97 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over his last 7 starts at Double-A, and features an elite, 100+ mph fastball. After 105 strikeouts in 79.2 innings with a 3.50 ERA over 19 starts for the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers, he has 8 Ks and a 2.70 ERA in his first 6.2 innings with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.