Bo Bichette Gets Monster Contract Projection Blue Jays May Not Want to Meet

The Toronto Blue Jays entered Thursday three wins away from the World Series. However, they are trying to reach the Fall Classic without Bo Bichette.

Bichette struggled last year, but responded with a phenomenal offensive season. He will be a free agent after the year ends, and with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. already signed to an extension, all eyes will be on what the team does with its other superstar.

Bichette’s current three-year, $33 million deal ranks 16th among shortstops in total and average annual value. He has led the American League in hits twice, is a two-time All-Star, and slashed .311/.357/.483 this season. He is only 27 years old and is set up for a raise. However, the question is how much the Blue Jays will be willing to pay him.

Bichette did not have a strong year defensively, and there are questions about whether he will remain a shortstop in the future. However, he is set up to be paid like a shortstop. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter gave Bichette a seven-year, $180 million contract projection.

That would make Bichette the ninth-highest-paid shortstop in baseball in terms of total value. Last offseason, Willy Adames signed a seven-year, $182 million deal, which is very similar to the deal Bichette is projected to receive. The key difference is there are no questions about Adames’ ability to stick at shortstop.

The Blue Jays did not extend Bichette in the offseason, indicating that they already had some doubts about his future. However, now that he has put together another stellar year at the plate, he has set himself up to be paid. Bichette’s projected deal would be the second-largest on the team, and if the team can win the World Series without Bichette, it may look elsewhere for its next shortstop.

If the Blue Jays meet his projected deal of $180 million and move him to third base, he would be the sixth-highest-paid third baseman in baseball. If the Blue Jays plan on moving him off shortstop with defensive concerns, paying him like a shortstop may not be something the team is interested in.

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