TORONTO – An up and down after a knee injury and a tough game with two mistakes in the postseason haven’t changed the Toronto Blue Jays’ perspective Bo Bichette.
At least in public.
It’s not about the 22-year-old’s offensive ability. The bat is real and it feels like a franchise gamer.
Why was the Blue Jays front office associated with so many short stops last year? Names like Gregory learned, Andrelton Simmons and loose Francisco Lindor have all been associated with the Jays since the winter get-together in December last year.
The answer seems simple: defense.
All three names would be upgrades with the glove – Statcasts Outs Above Average had Bichette, Gregorius, and Simmons all minus 1, while Lindor was the second best defensive shortstop in baseball at plus 5 – attractive veteran stability, and in turn, Bichette turned into what many consider yourself a defensive plus baseman.
If that sounds like a win-win situation, it’s because it is. It makes the Blue Jays a better team in more ways than one.
Would such an acquisition have pissed off Bichette and discussed the chemistry of the clubhouse, GM Ross Atkins and Charlie Montoyo in so much detail?
Bichette would likely get over it, but he has stated several times in the past how proud he was to prove doubters and make it to the major leagues at key defensive positions on the field. That didn’t change 75 games in his career.
In the public eye, Atkins briefly believed in Bichette, but he also left the door open for that to change, possibly in the near future, as all three of the above names are still very readily available.
“He has shown that he can be an average to above average shortstop at times and we believe he will fill that gap and be an average to above average shortstop across the board,” said Atkins. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we talked about him in the gold glove category in a year or two. Bo checks every box for professional athleticism and elite Major League Baseball-caliber players. We believe it will be a very, very good shortstop for a long time.
“That doesn’t mean that we’re on short stops in Bo because of our beliefs. We have to stay in every market and think: “Are there ways to get better?” But here too we believe very much in Bo. “
If Simmons gets well after two years of ankle injury, he’ll be an elite defensive shortstop, the best of the generation. This is fascinating for a club that has expressed a desire to improve defensively throughout Diamond.
A Lindor chase spans so many levels – from potential package to loot, the owner has to invest to add a decade to the 27-year-old – but it’s hard to go wrong with any of the game’s dynamic and level levels sympathetic players.
While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. seems to want to play third base, this is the wrong move for a team trying to win. The expectation is that his first baseman glove will be the most used next spring.
In the end, it’s likely that the Jays will prefer to address either the second or third base, as Cavan Biggio’s versatility allows them to be flexible with their infield fix.
“We have people who can play different positions, who have played different positions and can move around the diamond,” said Atkins. “This allows us to focus on getting the best players. Then, of course, take the acquisition costs into account. This does not mean that we are on short stops because of our belief in Bo. We have to stay in each market and think about how we can get better and how we can think about improving our team. We believe very much in Bo and because of the versatility of Cavan and the athleticism and youth of our team, we believe we can be more open to the positions we acquire rather than fixate on one. “
After the rotation and the outfield, let’s take a look at five possible goals that need to be considered.
The all-in goal: C. JT Realmuto
No matter what offseason free agent rankings you look at, Trevor Bauer, George Springer and Realmuto are on top of it in any order.
The top three names on the market clearly offer something different.
What Bauer and Springer offer are clear needs for the Jays.
Quietly, Realmuto would be a major upgrade for the Blue Jays behind the platter, though the catcher’s position is an area of depth within the organization.
Despite a vote of confidence in the direction of the incumbent Danny JansenAtkins, who struggled with the bat for most of the summer but ended up strong and noticed the offensive presence of Alejandro Kirk, openly asked if they needed to go out and find an upgrade.
“Very happy, but are you ever good enough?” Atkins said about his catchers. “You always think about getting better and there are several ways you can do that.”
One option would be to hand over the over $ 100 million allotted for Springer to Realmuto and take advantage of the remaining fishing depth – Jansen, Kirk and potential clients Riley Adams and Gabriel Moreno, both of whom will join the 40-man roster this week must, or they ‘will be available in draft rule 5 next month – to improve midfield and rotation.
Far from it, probably, but it is a possible avenue for improvement if you want to invest in a position where it is next to impossible to find a star like Realmuto.
The best goal: 2B / 3B DJ LeMahieu
The Jays were in LeMahieu in the winter of 2018 before the then 30-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Yankees that eventually turned into a massive bargain.
All LeMahieu did was go out with New York in two years and ditch .336 / .386 / .536 in preparation for a bigger payday this winter as he kicks off his 32-year season.
From the perspective of the Blue Jays, not much has changed here in two years.
Thanks to Biggio’s versatility, there is room to upgrade to third or second, with that player being defensively solid and preferably having the ability to get down to the base with an above average clip.
That is LeMahieu in a nutshell.
The likely target: LeMahieu
How much they’re spending on the rotation and Springer’s interest in joining Toronto may have a lot to do with how Atkins attacks infield upgrades, but there’s no doubt LeMahieu is high on the list if the Jays’ front office this process starts.
The buy-low target: SS Andrelton Simmons
At the age of 31, Simmons is either a player in decline or one who simply sustained unfortunate injuries to his left ankle for two years.
Despite the health issues, Simmons is still considered one of the best defensive shortstops you will ever see if he’s right, and the Jays kicked him in tires at the close of trading in August.
Eliminating Bichette from the shortstop may come as a surprise to some, but it’s clearly an option on the table as the Jays are exploring all possible areas for improvement.
Even if a deep shortstop group hits the market next winter, a motivated Simmons will likely go for a one-year deal to rebuild their value.
The off-the-radar target: SS / 3B Ha-Seong Kim
Calling Kim off the radar is a bit of a misnomer as we have him number 8 on our list of the Top 50 Players Available This Winter.
But the reason Kim is currently under the radar as a possible option for teams is because nobody knows exactly where the cap is or where the price will go.
Add that it wasn’t posted by the Kiwoom Heroes – that’s expected to happen after the American Thanksgiving Day – and you can see why Kim’s Hype train is still sitting on the KBO tracks.
Despite the track record of Korean positional players making their way into the big leagues – that’s not a good thing – the appeal of Kim is that you are reaching the 25-year-old’s prime and he is able to deal defensively with short, third or second .
That gives the team that acquires him a solid manufacturing base, with the hope that his offense translates and Kim transforms into a star.
For the Jays, Kim’s age, positive and defensive versatility are a perfect match, while the presence of South Korean colleague Hyun-Jin Ryu is just the icing on the cake.
