The Toronto Blue Jays and star shortstop Bo Bichette have reportedly agreed on a three-year contract extension that will guarantee the Florida product $33.6 million, with additional incentives that could push the value to just over $40 million.
Bichette was entering arbitration for the first time in his career this winter. This deal will bypass the remaining three years of that process, with the righty-batter still slated to hit free agency following the 2025 campaign.
While the deal doesn’t cover any free agent years, a bridge-type agreement such as this is a step in the right direction for both sides considering their past differences.
Last season, Bichette declined the pre-arbitration contract the Jays put forward, voicing his displeasure on the formula the organization utilizes when it comes to pre-arb contracts, “It’s pretty simple — I disagree with sticking to a formula to value us as players… I think that there’s more to it than the way that they view us. I think that for players, that’s not the right way to do it.”
Blue Jays and Bo Bichette reportedly agree to a three-year contract, avoiding future arbitration
These comments and a $2.5 million dollar gap between Bichette’s $7.5 million ask and the Jays’ contract offer at $5 million during the initial arbitration exchange only fueled the online rumour mill of a rocky relationship between the two sides, which now appears to have settled after this guaranteed contract.
Since his debut back in 2019, the former second-round draft pick owns a career .297/.340/.491 slash line with 100 doubles, 69 home runs, and 239 RBI to the tune of a .831 OPS. He has led the American League in hits in back-to-back campaigns since 2021 and earned an All-Star nomination that year as well, with the shortstop authoring a 12.9 bWAR and a 127 wRC+ since joining the Major Leagues. Compared to other MLB shortstops since 2020, Bichette ranks third in batting average (.295) and slugging (.480), fifth in home runs (58) and wRC+ (125), and sixth in fWAR (10.4).
Defensively, Bichette has struggled at times to make throws across the diamond or the odd defensive miscue, amassing 57 errors across parts of four seasons. He owns a career -7 bDRS at shortstop and a -17 Outs Above Average on the left side of second base while ranking in the middle percentiles regarding arm strength.
After this deal, the Jays will still have Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. slated to hit free agency at the same time after the 2025 campaign. Both extensions will likely come with a hefty price tag but a deal right now for Bichette is good to have for both sides and avoids the arbitration process for one of the Blue Jays top players.
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