Looking back at their round of failed free agent pursuits, not many around the league pinned championship winning expectations on the Toronto Blue Jays this season. As the calendar turned to April, the club signed a contract extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It indeed reflected that Ross Atkins has put together quite a team. However, soon after Guerrero’s extension, the Blue Jays were expected to give their fanbase double happiness in a row and keep Bo Bichette, too.

After all, Friday’s 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers boosted the Blue Jays record to an incredible 72-51. While Bichette’s own future in Toronto is clouded by contract uncertainty, he has long insisted on a dream that aligns perfectly with the Blue Jays’ ambitions.

Winning a World Series with Vladdy happens to be on Bichette’s vision board. Now that the club is surging ahead with the best record in the American League and a five-game lead over the Boston Red Sox, the dream feels close to turning into reality.

To top it all off, the team has a secret weapon. Or you can say it’s a perfect upgrade to increase the odds of notching the World Series title. Look no further than the Blue Jays’ top prospect—22-year-old right-hander Trey Yesavage.

Yesavage happens to be a 2024 first-round pick who commenced his season in Single-A. On Thursday, he made his Triple-A debut. As it turns out, he’s a dangerous pitcher. He has held an incredibly impressive 3.17 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP and 137 strikeouts across 82.1 innings. His fastball averages around the mid-90s. Moreover, he can work with all, be it a cutter, slider or curveball.

Yesavage clearly projects as a starter for the long run. However, the Blue Jays would likely use the young phenom out of the bullpen, presumably to give him the experience now and then move him to the regular dive man rotation later in the 2026 season.

All in all, he’d be a great addition and the secret weapon in turning Bichette’s dream into reality. Yesavage’s long-term role seems set from the club’s POV, but Bichette’s direction isn’t as defined.

The Reason Why Bo Bichette and the Blue Jays Might Not Come to an Extension Agreement

The Blue Jays handed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a 14 year, $500 million contract extension back in April. The idea was to ensure that he will remain a Blue Jay for the remainder of his career in the major leagues. In Bichette’s case, things are different. He is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season. And as the Blue Jays have already committed hefty money to Guerrero, it’s unlikely that Bichette and the team will continue the saga from 2026 onwards.

That’s just the surfacing reason. Beneath the surface, there is another reason why this deal might not happen. See, Bichette has dealt with many injuries since 2022. Plus, his speed has also taken a hit in the span of recent years. Given these two cases, it’s unlikely that he will stay at shortstop or second base for a longer run.

Overall, he has had a stunning season. He has held a slash line of .294/.336/.462 with 16 home runs, 78 RBI, a 2.4 WAR, an .800 OPS and a 119 OPS+. Still, according to Fansided, the Blue Jays could replace him in the free agency market with an affordable option. For now, it’s predicted that Bichette will move on and join a new team this coming off-season. But then again, his declining speed and injury history would be taken into consideration by every other club.

Ultimately, it’s a possibility that he would have no option but to sign a short-term deal with another team. That would have more and better guaranteed money with possible opt-out clauses. Do you think that the Blue Jays will extend him anyway?