Bo Bichette exited tonight’s game after six innings. The Blue Jays shortstop came up limping out of the batter’s box after hitting a line drive to right field. Toronto announced that Bichette suffered a right calf injury. Manager John Schneider said postgame that he was headed for an MRI (link via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com).
A strain in the same calf sent Bichette to the injured list last month. The 26-year-old infielder returned after a minimal stint. Tonight’s evident setback could send him back to the shelf. Even a minimal IL stay would keep him out through the July 30 trade deadline.
With the Jays plummeting out of playoff contention, Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have been the subject of some trade speculation. GM Ross Atkins shot down the chance of moving either player last month, but the Jays have fallen more definitely from the postseason fringe since then. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported last week that Toronto was still more focused on moving impending free agents. Bichette is under contract for $16.5MM next season and will hit free agency after the ’25 campaign.
This summer would be an inopportune time to deal Bichette even if the Jays listen to offers on more controllable players. This has been by far the most challenging season of his career. He’s hitting .222/.275/.320 over 331 trips to the plate. Bichette has four longballs after reaching the 20-homer threshold in three consecutive seasons. He might now be headed for his second IL stint in as many months.
In more positive injury news, the Jays welcomed Yimi García back from the 15-day injured list before today’s game. The veteran reliever missed a month with ulnar neuritis in his elbow. García is one of six impending free agents on the Toronto roster and has a strong chance to move before the deadline. The right-hander owns a 2.57 ERA through 28 innings. García is running a personal-best 34.6% strikeout rate while generating swinging strikes on 13.4% of his offerings. He’s playing on a $6MM salary and should be a target for contenders seeking a setup option.
Justin Turner is another of the rentals whom the Jays could look to move this month. Dealing Turner would open the designated hitter spot. That’d theoretically open an opportunity for Joey Votto. Unfortunately, the former MVP’s homecoming with the Jays has been sidetracked by injuries. Votto hurt his right ankle during Spring Training and has spent the season on the Triple-A injured list. He was set to begin his stint for Triple-A Buffalo tonight before tweaking his ankle during pre-game work (relayed on X by Kaitlyn McGrath of the Athletic). He’ll be reevaluated tomorrow.
For the love of god please fire Atkins already!
Yes. Because we all know GM’s control when players get hurt.
Sure doesn’t but you know what he controls one of the worst offences in the league, worst bullpen and bottom 5 farm teams. Looks like Ross doesn’t do much of anything but hand out a lot $$$$$
That Springer contract was atrocious.
WHAT? It’s easy to evaluate contracts in hindsight.. At the time, no one thought springer’s contract was an overpay and it was seen as a coup that we even got him.
If you think their struggles are because they’re hurt, you’re dreaming. This team was not set up for success from the start. Granted, injuries have taken away a couple wins, but they would still be bottom 10 team.
No depth in AAA is a big reason for the lack of wins and that is on a GM.
The article was on Bichette’s injury.
GMs control an offseason where they forgot they needed more hitting. They also have control over hiring better scouts and drafting.
Bichette is certainly a guy that could have more trade value a year from now. But if he has a sub 700 OPS at this time next year he’s going to have no trade value at all.
Toronto should blow it all up. They need the prospects and they have too many soon to be free agents.
More value in his walk year? That’s up for debate.
He currently has a 600 OPS. His career OPS is 800. If he has an 800 OPS next year at this time he’s probably more valuable than if he has a 600 OPS today unless you really really believe he will bounce back.
Bo is in the final year before free agency in 2025. That is a big deal. Unless Bo has a 900+ OPS the Jays will not have leverage.
He also makes 17 million in 2025 which is a lot to pay for a guy with a 600 OPS who is performing like a barely above replacement level player.
It’s not my opinion. I am just reporting what I read in the Athletic by a guy who talks to GMs.
I have read that rival GMs value him the same even with the down year. I think it was Bowden in The Athletic.
I’d say Bichette is gone by the winter meetings; Kikuchi Jansen & Y Garcia could bring some greatly needed prospects to the system now.
Votto HOFer ? I don’t think so. All the stats say yes to a degree. But playing in one of the livest ballparks of that era. Helping his power numbers. And walking a ton I don’t think necessitate the freaking Hall Of Fame. He was born that during his playing career. Other than lasting a long time.
Jay Do you hear yourself?
What language was that?
Clearly your not a baseball guy i supposed your’e a Troll.
Jay I agree with you 100% that Votto shouldn’t touch the Hall of Fame. He’s the shining of example of why the defense is willing to walk a player knowing it won’t hurt them. Thus, walks are overvalued by today’s metrics.
However, because of today’s metrics and the slow destruction of the game of baseball, Joey Votto is now a Hall of Famer. Based on what is considered “valuable”, his walking and patience plus the ballparks and inferior talent within that NL Central has pushed Votto’s numbers strong enough to reach Cooperstown.
Votto IS a HOFer period
Yes. He will be.
Joey Votto will replace Justin Turner as the oldest position player in the league.
Quick poll: Who else agrees with me that Votto is a Hall of Famer?
(Yes – I know the comment section may devolve into an annoying argument but hey, let’s give it a shot lol)
If you vote yes, like this comment.
If you vote no, like this comment.
So is Goldy.
Career WAR of 64.5 and OPS of .920, I would say yes but the process is so screwed up now.
He’s from Toronto — so yes for sure. Does that count?
It’s not that simple. Votto is a Hall of Famer based on today’s standards and the recent inductees. Should he be? No. It would be shocking if he’s not in on the first ballot.
Looking at OBP alone I think he eventually gets in
As a RedsFan watching Votto all those years my opinion is a majority of those walks were due to teams pitching around him. He didn’t have anyone near his talent batting behind him. He was an elite hitter who refused to swing at pitches out of the zone.
The ability to differentiate strikes from balls while playing at a GG caliber and putting up BA and Slugging numbers makes you a HoF.
Votto is a Hall of Famer based on today’s standards.
Are these injuries with Votto real or is he just stalling so he doesn’t have to join the Jays for this fiasco of a season! I certainly wouldn’t blame him!
Day to day turned 4 months.
3 things….Get Rid of shapiro, his useless GM the lackie atkins and GET RID of the HR jacket….Only winning teams deserve it…..
The Nightmare continues…..!!
But when they re-introduced the homer jacket they start having fun losing more games and slipping further below .500!
Bo shouldn’t have been a deadline trade candidate anyway. Not with the season he’s had.
First the knee last year and now the calf. Bet a lot of teams look at him as a second baseman. Bo’s value is sinking. Jays have two options here; trade him in the offseason for an underwhelming returning (because of the red flags mentioned), or make him Mr Blue Jay and extend him – with the idea that he plays 2B the rest of his career. If healthy, Bo would be a great 2B.
Then the Jays would need to land a shortstop. Easier said than done.
If they move Turner, why not also dump Votto? Pretty sure he’s an impending FA as well.
I can’t imagine they would keep him around just for a non-baseball reason like him being from Toronto.
There is no reason for Votto to play on the Jays. Especially if they are trying to duck under the CBT. They should only dump as much salary as needed to get under and then retain all the rest in their trades no matter what direction they are taking. Selecting Votto works against that goal even if only somewhat. Still good for the team to give him a place to work on his goal of getting back to the majors, but that’s likely to be with another team.
He’s no different than any other player. No team should give him anything unless his performance shows he has earned it.
Is Bichette the new Tim Anderson?
Hmm. That’s an interesting thought. What do you think is behind Anderson’s downturn? Both are very aggressive, make a lot of contact, and lean on high BABIPs to carry their success. With Bo, the interesting thing is that a part of the narrative was his bat speed that allowed him to hit the ball hard to all fields. That has certainly been the perception by the eye test when he’s good. But the bat tracking data that came out this year shows he’s well below average in bat speed and fast swing percentage. But we don’t have historical bat tracking data so it’s hard to point to that. Still, the quality of contact, batted ball data (not pulling anything, spike in ground balls), coupled with other athletic decline like sprint speed and lateral range hint that he’s not as fast twitched as before. Some of these things started showing up last year. But he was only 25 then. He’s only 26 now. I’d always worried about a long term extension for him because I thought he was a candidate for earlier and sudden decline because he’s very much a raw tools over skill player, but I wouldn’t have thought by 26. By 29 or 30 like Anderson is what I though early decline might be for his profile. He had a knee issue last year and has had calf issues this year and I wonder if he was dealing with those for a longer period before they put him out of action. I suspect he’s still got it in him to turn it around. But Tim Anderson is the cautionary tale for why an extension or long term free agent contract is risky with him.
I believe there’s nothing more to Anderson’s downturn beyond the extreme difficulty of playing and staying at the MLB level and him no longer being able to do it at 31.
This happens to every player sooner or later. A select few make it to 35, 40, and beyond, but many flame out before they even reach 25 or 30.
You have to wonder how long these high BABIPs are sustainable. Bo’s been at .350 for about five years, and that’s supposed to be unsustainable. Now he’s at .266.
I think he earned those high BABIPs. This year isn’t just a change in fortunes, it’s a change in the underlying performance.
MLBJaysRumors
I wouldn’t move him. #1 they’d be selling low, which would limit the return and #2 he’s going into his walk year. You watch, he will have a monster season in 25. And the Jays are still in “win now” mode.
The Jays are really in “win when?” mode, lol.
@Blue Baron
It depends on what they get back in trades. If it’s not MLB ready or near MLB ready pieces then they are not in win now mode.