TORONTO, ON – October 2 Blue Jays GM, Ross Atkins answers questions. The Toronto Blue Jays held their final press conferences of the year at the Rogers Centre following the end of their season. October 2 2024 Richard Lautens/Toronto Star (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Toronto Star via Getty Images
The Toronto Blue Jays’ brass hosted its end-of-year press conference on Thursday, following a surprising playoff run and a heartbreaking World Series loss.
But in addition to reflecting on this past season, team president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins offered some insight into the team’s future.
After locking in franchise slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a $500 million extension earlier this year, the team’s foundational block for the next decade is set. But it will also have to make some decisions about who to replace and who to try and bring back among several key players heading to free agency.
Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are among the pieces who might join new teams for next season and beyond. But the Blue Jays’ most consequential decision will come with star shortstop Bo Bichette.
Though the front office confirmed that it would like to see Bichette back during the end-of-year comments, it has also remained fairly non-commital so far.
“If there is one thing that Ross Atkins has been consistent about in his time as Blue Jays general manager, it generally has been acing the poker-player side of the position,” Rob Longley wrote for the Toronto Sun. “Rarely does he even hint at the team’s intentions while in the pursuit of big signings, a strategy that has served him well in his decade here, as he has the front office’s general immunity to leaking information.”
Atkins did, however, offer a key single-word update on the team’s concrete plans surrounding Bichette when he was asked if he’d be holding the shortstop position in reserve for a potential return.
“Asked bluntly if shortstop is what the Jays would proffer because it means that much to Bichette, GM Ross Atkins was definitive: ‘Yes,’” Rosie DiManno reported for the Toronto Star.
While the number of years and total dollars on the contract offer will likely be the deciding factor for Bichette’s decision, the unequivocal opportunity to continue playing shortstop for the Blue Jays is no small thing.
Bichette takes pride in playing the position, but he grades out as one of the weakest defenders among everyday shortstops in Major League Baseball and other teams might only be interested in signing him to a significant contract if they can move him to second or third base. Plus, the Blue Jays seemed to signal their backup plan at shortstop by adding Andres Gimenez to the roster before this season.
But it sounds like if Bichette and the Blue Jays can work out the financial details of a future contract, Toronto’s shortstop position will be his for the future.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2025/11/07/blue-jays-offer-1-word-response-on-saving-position-for-bo-bichettes-return/
