While the Blue Jays are focused on the immediate task of winning the AL East division crown and making noise in the playoffs, a big contract decision waits for the front office after the season.

That was the case this past winter as well, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s pending free agency was sending the fan base into a frenzy. There was a lot of drama along the way, but in the end, the two sides agreed to a 14-year, $500 million pact to keep Guerrero Jr. in Toronto for what will likely be the rest of his career, and make him one of baseball’s highest-paid players at the same time. It was a pivotal moment for the franchise and a signal to the fan base that ownership intends to win as much as possible in their freshly renovated ballpark.

To that end, ownership should be commended for their commitment to winning in 2025 as well, and that’s not something I’ve said a whole lot in the past. However, they started the year with a franchise record payroll, pursued many of the market’s top free agents last winter, and they added some useful veterans at this year’s trade deadline in Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Louie Varland, and Ty France. Granted, none of them are expensive pieces to add in 2025, but the willingness to go further wasn’t something that long-time fans of this team are overly used to, and it’s very refreshing.

All that said, I can’t help but wonder what lies ahead for the Blue Jays this winter, even if I’m very much enjoying the present atop the AL East. More specifically, I’m very curious to see what happens with Bo Bichette when he hits free agency this winter, and just how aggressively the Jays try to keep him in the only MLB jersey he’s ever worn. It’s no secret that Guerrero Jr. was the priority this past winter, and that made sense on a number of levels; however, that doesn’t mean that Bichette can’t be retained as well, and I think the likelihood of that outcome has grown this season.

Bichette started pretty slow this season, but he’s back to being one of the better hitters in the American League again, just as he’s been in the past. He’s slashing .298/.338/.470 with 16 home runs, 35 doubles, and 78 RBI over 494 at-bats before last night’s game, all while leading the American League in hits again with 147 as of this writing. The 27-year-old has also significantly cut down on his strikeouts and has proven that his injury-riddled 2024 season was the exception to an otherwise steady output throughout his big league career.

Speaking of that steady output, if I were Bo Bichette’s agent, I would want to highlight that point as many times as I could spit it out.

Bichette has led the AL in hits twice before (2021, 2022), has a sizeable lead in the category for this year, and was leading in 2023 before a late-season injury that saw him lose the claim for the third straight year. Other than missing time and struggling with injuries from late 2023 to the start of this season, Bichette has been that guy since he became a full-time, full-season regular in 2021. At 27 years old, he’s arguably just entering his prime now as well, and there’s no reason to expect that he’ll slow down the production with a bat in his hands.

Another point I would highlight if I were Bichette’s agent would be his yearly WAR totals.

The former second-round pick earned 5.9 bWAR in 2021, followed by 3.7 in 2022, 4.8 in 2023, the injury-riddled -0.3 mark in 2024, and is up to 2.5 bWAR so far this season. If you prefer fWAR, those numbers are 4.9 (2021), 4.8 (2022), 3.9 (2023), 0.3 (2024), and 2.9 fWAR so far this season. He’s been very consistent in several areas, and with an average WAR being worth around $9 million, he’s about to become a very expensive player. Is there are argument that he’s a 4 WAR player for his next contract? If I’m his agent, I’m certainly making the case for it, even if $35-36 million a year seems out of the question.

While Bichette has often been criticized for his defence throughout his career, few shortstops offer the same kind of value on the offensive side of the game. That said, there are some recent comps that make sense to bring up as well.

The most recent and probably best comparison in terms of age and average WAR value would be Willy Adames, who secured a seven-year pact worth $182 million from the San Francisco Giants last year. Bichette’s agency could point to other comps as well, such as Dansby Swanson (seven years, $177 million), Trevor Story (six years, $140 million), or even Javy Baez (six years, $140 million). Each of those comparisons is imperfect for a variety of reasons, but it gives a ballpark for Bichette’s future, at least now that he’s shown he’s healthy and still the All-Star calibre contributor that he’s always been.

One key factor for Bichette could be a willingness to move away from the shortstop position, if not now, then understanding that could be the case in the future. Even with the Blue Jays, I’d be willing to bet they’d be happy to keep the 2 x All-Star as their starting shortstop for at least a couple more seasons, or at least until Arjun Nimmala is ready to take over the reins in a few years. Of course, there are no guarantees that Nimmala ends up thriving as a big leaguer, or that he can stick to being a shortstop for the long term, especially as he grows and matures physically, but regardless, it might be important for Bichette’s camp to show a willingness to eventually play another position. Whether that’s second base, third base, or even in the outfield, Bichette should be athletic enough to handle that sorta thing in time.

Beyond what’s already been mentioned, there’s an argument that Bichette could be the second-best hitter available in this upcoming free agent class. Other than Kyle Tucker, Bichette’s representation could make the argument that their client’s combination of relative youth, talent, and track record makes him as valuable as almost anyone available. If they can start a bidding war, then things could get serious in a hurry. More likely, I guess that Bichette’s next contract lands somewhere in the seven-year, $200 million range, or at least I would think that’s the minimum to start things off. That’s also a figure that Steven Adames from The Sporting News has thrown out recently, and I’d tend to agree.

Will Bichette be able to earn himself that kind of payday, and more importantly, will the Blue Jays end up as one of the serious bidders for their long-time shortstop? I’m sure it’s an issue that they want to put off just a little longer, but the more we see Bichette thriving, the more that price tag could potentially grow. For now, 200 million doesn’t seem out of reach at all, and to be fair, paying Robin about 40% of what Batman gets seems about right, no?

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