Nothing is permanent in baseball, not even the seat of a franchise star. And right now, the Toronto Blue Jays might be learning it the hard way with Bo Bichette. Sure, Bo wants to stay. His teammates also want him to stay. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., in fact, publicly pleaded for it. But even his words came with a dose of the bitter truth pill.

“I would love to finish my career playing with him, but it’s free agency… He has got to go do his thing and do what he has to do to go get his money.” Vladdy admitted. That’s the reality. Bichette may love Toronto, but this is business, and the market is calling.

And while there are several suitors for Bo, here is the twist no one saw coming: Braves are suddenly in the middle of the mix with them.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today believes the Braves might be the one to land Bo Bichette. And well, it does make a whole lot of sense. 

Right now, the Braves need a shortstop, and Bichette is the best one available, so the fit is good. Plus, there is an underlying problem—they need to secure Ha Seong Jim on a new deal before he tests the market. And the bad news is that the news in the market is that he is most likely going to decline his player option. So, the Atlanta Braves need to keep another door open.

This is for real, a nightmare for Jays, given Bichette is coming off one of the most memorable postseason runs in Jays history. He fought through his injury and delivered during the big moments, too. And he did all this during a contract year—the timing couldn’t be better for his wallet.

Now he is a free agent and looking at a life-changing payday. How much, you ask? Zach Mentz of Cleveland.com is predicting that Bichette could command a figure of about $216 million for around eight years. Even though a position change might be in the picture. 

But if you ask for a two-time All-Star, a two-time AL hits leader, and a guy who nearly took Toronto to a World Series title, this price might even rise. For now, Bichette wants to be back in Toronto, saying, “I’ve said I want to be here from the beginning. I want to be here, but I just played Game 7.” But heavens know that the clock is ticking, and the Jays are far from being the only team trying to clinch Bichette.

Blue Jays make a sneaky-good move with under-the-radar signing

Sometimes, the best off-season moves are not the flashy ones—they are the quiet ones that end up paying off in a big way. And that’s exactly what the Toronto Blue Jays are hoping for after signing Carlos Mendoza to a minor league deal.

Now, Mendoza is not someone who shows up on the top 30 prospects lists. But he has always been someone who comes with an “upside” label. At 25 years old, he has already played everywhere from second to third and all three outfield spots. For a franchise that needs versatility now, Mendoza is someone they should focus on.

As far as his bat goes, Mendoza is solid there, too. He bounced between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo and put together a strong showing: a .287 average, .803 OPS, 64 runs, 41 RBIs, and 12 steals in 97 games. He is not a slugger, but he does everything else—he has good speed and dependable defense. Also, the Blue Jays have the habit of collecting flexible, contact-oriented players—and Mendoza fits in the mold perfectly.

And since he already reached Triple A last year, maybe a bench role with the Toronto Blue Jays sooner rather than later seems more than possible. This is exactly the sneaky depth move that might not make noise now but make all the difference later.