TORONTO, ON – APRIL 20: Bo Bichette #11 of the Toronto Blue Jays runs to the dugout prior to a game against the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre on April 20, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
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The Toronto Blue Jays have made it clear that they want to reinvest in their franchise after reaching Game 7 of the World Series.
Well before the middle of this past season, the team had already reached a $500 million long-term extension agreement with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Then, after the team’s Cinderella run came to an end, it signed a key front office figure to an extension of his own.
“Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro and Toronto agreed to a new five-year contract after the team’s first American League pennant since 1993,” the Associated Press reported. “Shapiro, 58, took over as president and CEO when Paul Beeston retired after the 2015 season. Shapiro had spent 24 seasons with Cleveland, including the previous five as team president.”
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With long-term deals in place for Guerrero and Shapiro, it’s clear that the Blue Jays’ ownership is optimistic about its primary figures on the roster and in the front office. And after the latest extension news, the executive chair of the team’s ownership group, Edward Rogers, was asked about the possibility of bringing Bo Bichette back with a new contract as well.
“Bo has been a part of this team throughout his career, it’s home for him, and I’m hopeful we have the best, most competitive team we can,” Rogers told the Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm. “I’m not part of that decision making, that’s (general manager) Ross (Atkins) and Mark and we’re working hard to try to figure that out.”
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Rogers clearly has faith in his front office after the team enjoyed its best season in decades. But when asked to elaborate on his own thoughts on Bichette, he seemed to hedge.
“I’d say what we saw through the playoffs was that Bo performed well through the World Series run,” Rogers said, per Chisholm. “But so many of our players came up, and I find teams that have deep bonds, obviously the stars shine, but a lot of other people need to shine to be a competitive team and we have amazing depth.”
After serving as Major League Baseball’s hits leader during this past campaign, Bichette’s regular season ended with an injury. He missed the team’s playoff run until the World Series, and he picked up pretty much where he left off at the plate.
Now he is one of the most coveted free agent infielders on the market, and the Blue Jays would have to offer a significant nine-figure contract to see his return. It seems as if Atkins, Shapiro and the Blue Jays’ front office could be preparing to bring their shortstop back, but the roster could also lean on some significant depth in his absence.