It was a while ago and lots of moves ago and a performance cratering ago, but there was a time when there were a lot of Cubs-Bo Bichette trade rumors. Remember those? It spread across about 14 months, but it kinda took the shape of the Cubs first maybe looking at Bichette at shortstop (but then they signed Dansby Swanson), evolved into maybe the Cubs could acquire him for third base (but then Christopher Morel started hitting and Nick Madrigal played top-tier defense and the Blue Jays decided not to move Bichette anyway), and it lingered a bit until it was clear no trade was happening. The rumors just kinda stopped.
Thereafter, Bichette hit a truly dreadful .225/.277/.322/71 wRC+ in 2024, was worth just 0.3 WAR – miles and miles worse than his previous seasons – and I think we all mostly stopped paying attention to him completely. If we hadn’t, it’s possible at least someone would have speculated upon revisiting those rumors once the Cubs traded Isaac Paredes to the Astros and opened third base back up. Bichette is only 26, is signed for $17.6 million in 2025, and is a free agent after the season. If he’d not been so completely terrible, I’m sure at least some folks would’ve wondered about a fit.
But that hasn’t happened, and I don’t anticipate it happening (and I don’t think I wouldn’t endorse the move anyway). So none of this is about a direct Cubs-Bichette connection re-emerging.
Instead, it’s only – for now – about the possibility that the Blue Jays are actually willing to listen on Bichette, which would have implications for the infield market (mostly shortstop, but possibly elsewhere (which, in turn, could impact the Cubs if they’re looking for a one-year complement/safety plan at third base to pair with Matt Shaw)).
From Ken Rosenthal, who says the Blue Jays are “fielding interest” on Bo Bichette:
‘Bichette, who turns 27 on March 5, is another matter. He is coming off by far his worst offensive season, posting an OPS+ 29 percent below league average while missing almost three months with a right calf strain. The Jays do not appear nearly as interested in signing him as they do Guerrero. And circumstances have changed since Atkins told MLB Network’s Jon Morosi in November that his answer to trade inquiries on Bichette was “an easy no.”
Eight days ago, the Jays acquired Andrés Giménez, a Platinum Glove winner at second base, as a potential replacement for Bichette. Gimenez’s return to shortstop, his original position, seemed more likely to occur in 2026 than ‘25, Bichette’s final year of club control. But a trade of Bichette this offseason, even though the Jays would be selling low, would make sense. If the Jays lose him as a free agent and exceed the $241 million luxury-tax threshold — they are within $13 million, according to Fangraphs — all they would receive as compensation is a pick after the fourth round.
Still, the Jays do not appear to be shopping Bichette. Executives from three rival clubs, granted anonymity for their candor, said the Jays are open to moving him, but only for a high price.’
Keeping a high price on Bichette is certainly a choice, given how abysmally bad he was in 2024, and an acquiring team would be betting nearly $20 million on him returning to form. How much are you really giving up for that in trade? The market is hot, but it’s not crazy. Bichette would not justify a huge return, so then the question is whether the Blue Jays are actually listening.
To that I would note that SOMETIMES these reports are a bit of a trial balloon to see if a little more interest ticks up – but if so, the Blue Jays probably overplayed their hand by making it seem as if they would only move Bichette for a haul. I don’t really get much of what they’ve done the last two years, to be honest, and I think they know they whiffed by not moving Bichette last year when they could’ve gotten that haul. Similarly, they’ve still not extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who could’ve commanded an enormous price at the deadline last year (or still this offseason! see the Kyle Tucker trade). It just seems like they declined to pick a lane at the best time, and now they’re trying to sort through the fallout.
We’ll see if rumors pick up on Bo Bichette. Like I said, sometimes this kind of report is just the start of a team letting the market know they would, eh hem, really like to field some phone calls. Maybe there is a team out there with a gaping hole at shortstop that is willing to roll the dice on the bounce-back at a price the Blue Jays would accept.
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