Canada Sport News

Ross Atkins discusses Blue Jays' approach to potential trades involving Bichette and Guerrero Jr.
  • news
    •

    Ross Atkins discusses Blue Jays’ approach to potential trades involving Bichette and Guerrero Jr.

    Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins gave Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a vote of confidence on Sunday morning during an interview on MLB Network Radio.

    With the Blue Jays entering play Sunday with a 27-30 record, sitting in last place in the AL East and Bichette and Guerrero’s contract expiring after the 2026 season, questions about their future in Toronto have begun to surface.

    “Both of them, especially (in) the month of May, have been solid,” Atkins said. “Vladdy’s been exceptional in May… He is in a really, really strong place.”

    “Both of them have such good feel for the barrel and such good feel for competing in the batter’s box, they’re going to perform,” he later added.

    Bichette entered Sunday with a .639 OPS and four home runs on the season. Three of those homers came in May when he posted a much improved .731 OPS over 25 games. Similarly, Guerrero improved his numbers in the second month of the season, posting a .678 OPS in March/April and a .917 mark in May.

    With many eyes on the Blue Jays’ future, Atkins was asked about the possibility of trading one or both of the two franchise cornerstones.

    “It just doesn’t make any sense for us… It’s not something that we’ve spent any time on,” he said. “Because they’re so talented and such great teammates, they are attractive to other teams. so they will call.”

    As far as keeping the duo in Toronto long-term, Atkins said earlier in the interview that they have kept extension talks open with both players, and that he hopes they will be able to play with the Blue Jays for the foreseeable future.

    “Of course, we have dialogue with them (about extensions) and that is something we’ll continue,” he said. “We believe in them, we believe in their futures and hope that there’s a way they can play here for a long time.”

    Bichette and Guerrero weren’t the only two Blue Jays who got Atkins’ support during his radio appearance. The general manager was also asked about the job Toronto manager John Schneider has done this season.

    “John has been incredible. He is at the forefront of our environment and has worked tirelessly over the off-season and on …” Atkins said. “I just don’t believe in change to change and change for the sake of trying something different.

    “We have to be better. I do not feel like John Schneider has been anything but a part of the solution and will continue to be.”

    More from Sportsnet
    Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ‘ready for everything’ in return to third base


    Why Chris Bassitt has trust to position Blue Jays’ infielders

    Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins recently spoke about the team’s approach to potential trades involving top prospects Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Both young players have been highly touted within the organization and by baseball experts, leading to speculation about their future with the team.

    Atkins emphasized that the Blue Jays are always looking to improve their roster and make moves that will benefit the team in both the short and long term. However, he also made it clear that Bichette and Guerrero Jr. are seen as integral parts of the team’s future and that any potential trade involving them would have to bring back significant value in return.

    “We value Bo and Vladdy very highly and see them as key pieces of our future success,” Atkins said. “Any trade involving them would have to make sense for us in terms of the talent we would be receiving in return.”

    Both Bichette and Guerrero Jr. have shown immense potential in their young careers, with Bichette making his MLB debut in 2019 and Guerrero Jr. following suit in 2019. The two have quickly become fan favorites in Toronto and are seen as cornerstones of the team’s rebuild.

    While trade rumors are common in baseball, especially for teams looking to improve their roster, it seems unlikely that the Blue Jays would be willing to part ways with either Bichette or Guerrero Jr. unless they were blown away by an offer.

    Atkins also mentioned that the team is focused on building a sustainable contender for years to come, rather than making short-term moves that could jeopardize their long-term success.

    “We are always looking to improve our team, but we also have to be mindful of the future and not sacrifice our long-term goals for short-term gains,” Atkins said.

    Overall, it seems that the Blue Jays are committed to keeping Bichette and Guerrero Jr. as part of their core moving forward, unless a trade offer comes along that is simply too good to pass up. Fans can rest assured that the team’s front office has their best interests in mind as they navigate the trade market and look to build a championship-caliber team in Toronto.