Bo Bichette wants to stay with Jays, but which version is he

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The words did not surprise Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He has heard them all before. He has spoken some of them himself.

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Bo Bichette wants to play his entire career with Guerrero, if possible. Guerrero wants to play with Bichette. They want to win championships together, in tandem, the way they talked about it when they were coming up in the organization.

It’s something like what kids declare in grade school: Friends forever. A declaration by pinprick. A few drops of blood spilled. Pals for life.

Then the blood dries, the little guys grow up to be men and the expectations and beliefs of youth get pushed to the side over time.

Only this time, it’s close to real. In an unusual declaration for Bichette, who is a king of ‘saying nothing that sounds like something’ — which is a Blue Jays kind of thing — he told veteran baseball writer Shi Davidi of Sportsnet that he doesn’t wish to be traded by the Jays and that he wants to be here, stay here, win alongside Vladdy, his friend and fellow franchise-changer.

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After a summer of injuries, poor performance and sharp rumours that he didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to stay here, this is as strong a statement as Bichette has offered to anyone.

Strong especially to those of us on the outside who aren’t sure what becomes of the Blue Jays future, and strong words for even a front office that isn’t certain about its own future around here.

The complications surrounding Bichette and Guerrero are more confusing than at any time in the past. This is a losing season. Both should have been signed long-term by now, but that’s only part of the problem.

A year ago, Bichette had a terrific season with the Jays and Guerrero did not.

This year, Bichette — when healthy — hasn’t played particularly well and Guerrero in the second half of the season has been one of the best hitters in all of baseball.

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So who are they and what are they?

They have been something of a human teeter-totter — up, down, then up and down again. You can’t base Bichette’s future on what he has done this year and you probably can’t determine Guerrero’s future on the same kind of evaluation.

And, in a season in which almost everything has gone wrong for the Blue Jays, can a team with Guerrero and Bichette as its two best players compete, as they say, for championships in the future?

Guerrero wasn’t the least bit surprised by what Bichette told Davidi. He had heard it all before.

“It’s not news to me what he said, it might be news to you,” Guerrero said. “I’m not surprised by it. I want what he wants.”

And then a slight bomb to all this late-season happiness: “But it’s not up to us,” Guerrero said.

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Bichette is signed for next season. Guerrero is arbitration-eligible next year. If unsigned long-term, the two players will be free agents heading into the 2026 season. The cost of maintaining both will be high, but the cost of losing both may be even higher.

Add to that the difficulty juggling both contracts, on a season-by-season basis, with the teeter-totter going back and forth and an attempt to find some kind of balance in all of this.

Bichette was a sure thing heading into this season. That was the thinking, anyway. He was getting better, more dependable at shortstop. He has twice led the American League in hits.

He seemed naturally suited to put up Cal Ripken-like numbers on a regular basis without the same longevity. And he appeared serious enough, caring enough, dedicated enough to be the player you could always depend upon.

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Then this season happened. The Jays sputtered from the beginning. Bichette lost his swing and his power in the same season. He looked to be getting close to his old form when he injured his calf again, all but shutting down the rest of the season, save for these final few meaningless games.

Where is he now in terms of what the front office thinks or believes is a different kind of speculation. And why should this front office, with more errors than Bichette has ever been charged with, be front and centre in determining whose future matters and whose does not?

They’ve made wrong decisions on George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Teoscar Hernandez, Justin Turner, Brandon Belt, Kevin Kiermaier, Gabe Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. — we could go on, too — that it’s hard to believe in whatever they might believe about the future, long- and short-term, with the club.

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If the Jays have Guerrero and Bichette for next season — and beyond — that should give them two position players they won’t have to worry about. Assuming Bichette can return to form, which will remains a question of sorts until we see differently. Assuming the Guerrero of this season is the Guerrero of the future.

But at least for now, one matter has been settled: Bo Bichette doesn’t want out. He has been clear about that.

He wants to play alongside Guerrero. He’s clear about that as well.

Now all management has to determine is the future worth of both players — and how to set the rest of a lineup that requires significant revamping.

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