Toronto Blue Jays' Star Apparently Discussion of Serious Trade Rumors?
Apparently, Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette is the subject of trade discussions.
Per Matt Cozzi on social media:
I’m hearing the Cubs have talked to the Blue Jays about Bo Bichette, who would play 3B for the Cubs.
This was first hinted at by @KFidds yesterday and @jonmorosi mentioned the Cubs interest in Bichette last year.
Bichette is signed through 2025 and would cost big return.
Now, we can't be sure that either Matt Cozzi or @KFidds are credible insiders, but Morosi did mention the post on his own social media (more on that later), so we have to treat it as credible for now. And there are reasons it all makes sense:
1) The Cubs have Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Nico Hoerner up the middle. Both players won Gold Gloves this year, so they don't need Bichette at shortstop.
2) They are set to lose Jeimer Candelario in free agency, so they do have an opening at third base.
3) They are set to lose Cody Bellinger in free agency also. Without Candelario or Bellinger, there's plenty of offense to replace, so there's an understandable desire for Bichette to help.
4) The team wants Shohei Ohtani, as everyone does. If they can't get him, Bichette helps fill offensive holes and helps bring star power to Chicago.
5) After back-to-back wild card exits, people are wondering if it's time for the Blue Jays to try something new. With Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. getting more expensive by the season, it has been mentioned more than once that they could move someone in an effort to save some payroll.
Bichette, 25, is a two-time All-Star already. He's a lifetime .299 hitter with 89 homers.
As for Morosi's additional message:
Update on a Bo Bichette trade scenario, per @matt_cozzi. Here’s a point to ponder: How would a Bichette-to-Cubs trade impact the way Ohtani views both of these potential suitors?
That one seems fairly self-explanatory. A Cubs' team with Bichette looks very favorable, while a Blue Jays' team without him does not.
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