Blue Jays Blockbuster Trade Idea Ships Bo Bichette To Royals For 3-Player Package
Do the Kansas City Royals have something bigger up their sleeve after signing All-Star relief pitcher Carlos Estévez?
On Wednesday night, the Royals nabbed the 6-foot-6 righty on a two-year deal with an option for a third year, potentially solidifying the back end of their bullpen. There are other intriguing relief pitchers on Kansas City's roster who could become expendable as a result.
Case in point: Angel Zerpa, a 25-year-old lefty with four remaining years of team control, no longer projects as the Royals' primary setup man. There's nothing wrong with having a deep bullpen, of course, but what if Zerpa could be part of a trade package to land a high-upside bat?
One of the most heavily-discussed trade candidates all season will be shortstop Bo Bichette, especially if his Toronto Blue Jays fall out of the playoff hunt. The two-time All-Star had a dreadful year in 2024 and with free agency looming, the Blue Jays might be ill-inclined to sign him long-term.
To that end, Preston Farr of Farm to Fountains recently proposed a blockbuster trade that would send Bichette to Kansas City in exchange for infielder Maikel Garcia, relief pitcher Angel Zerpa, and one of two catching prospects, Carter Jensen or Ramon Ramirez.
"Star shortstop Bo Bichette enters the final year of team control in 2025," wrote. "Could the Blue Jays look to re-tool as they plan for both Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to hit the market next winter?"
"Maikel Garcia and Angel Zerpa are good starting points. Garcia could help slot in at shortstop for Toronto, leaving third base open for top prospect Orelvis Martinez. Zerpa gives Toronto the needed boost in their bullpen. It would take more, however. Rounding out the trade with Carter Jensen or Ramon Ramirez might make a deal work."
Bichette was awful in 2024, posting a .598 OPS while missing 80 games due to injury. But he's also a two-time American League hits leader and owns a career OPS just under .800. There's every chance he could rebound, and the best version of him would make the Royals' offense a lot better.
There would be some obvious defensive realignment required. Bichette would have to take over second base in deference to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., a position he's been speculated to move to at various points, while Jonathan India would kick out to left field on more of a full-time basis.
Though there's no guarantee a trade is on the table, it's undoubtedly worth exploring.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org