The Toronto Blue Jays are 20-20, but just 3.5 games back of the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East. However, if their season slips away, they could quickly become sellers.
If the Blue Jays fall out of contention, their phones will be ringing near the trade deadline. While they have many intriguing assets to trade, none will be more popular than Bo Bichette. Bichette will be a free agent after the season, and his bat could be valuable to any contender. FanSided’s Wynston Wilcox urged the Blue Jays to trade him to the Detroit Tigers, who missed out on signing Alex Bregman this offseason.
“The Tigers weren’t able to get Bregman. They can’t miss again if they get the opportunity,” wrote Wilcox. “Bichette isn’t necessarily the best option, but he could be worth it. Unfortunately, it’s not up to Detroit. It’s up to Toronto to decide if they’re ready to move on from Bichette.”
The Tigers have Trey Sweeney at shortstop, and he has done a good job. However, they could move Bichette to third base. While his power numbers are done, he is still having a good season at the plate.
“Bichette isn’t having a bad season at all, slashing .281/.330/.386,” wrote Wilcox. “The Blue Jays have had an offensive issue this year so they may not be interested in swapping a decent hitter for a miserable one, but it’s something they could consider in the long run. The Tigers have to consider everything as they will need to replace Jung with a better option at some point. They are atop the AL Central division with a 2.5 game lead. Bichette could be the answer.”
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The Tigers look like legitimate contenders this season after making an improbable run to the postseason last year. Adding Bichette and having him play third base would be a huge upgrade over their current platoon at the position. Bichette is a two-time All-Star and has led the American League in hits twice. The team may be less likely to re-sign him with $500 million now committed to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
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