The Toronto Blue Jays have changed their "no-trade" stance on shortstop Bob Bissett.
Toronto's general manager Ross Atkins said on the 7th of last month (Korea time) when asked, "What would you answer to the trade inquiry about Bischet?" "I will answer no without thinking about it."스포츠토토
Vissett is a key player for Toronto along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Both players will become free agents after next season, but he has no trade plans for Vissett. However, a change in such plans is being detected just two months later.
The Athletic reporter Ken Rosenthal reported on the 21st, "According to a source familiar with the Blue Jays, none of Toronto's three plans to tie Guerrero Jr. to a long-term contract, send out Vissette in a trade, and sign FA third baseman Alex Bregman, but Toronto is all in the process."
It is not unusual to discuss a long-term contract with Guerrero Jr. He is a leading hitter and a franchise player of Toronto. His father, Vladimir Guerrero, debuted with the Montreal Expos in copyright in 1996, played until 2003, and transferred to the Los Angeles Angels. While working for Montreal, he gave birth to Guerrero Jr. in 1999.
Guerrero Jr. ranked second in AL MVP voting in 2021 with a batting average of 0.311, 48 homers, 111 RBIs, 123 points, and an OPS of 1.002. Although his OPS slowed down to 0.818 and 0.788 in 2022 and 2023, respectively, this year he succeeded in reviving with a batting average of 0.323, 30 homers, 103 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.940, raising expectations ahead of the FA season. Toronto needs to keep its franchise players forever.
However, Vissett's approach is different. He believes that trading has more benefits. After missing the game for three months this year due to right leg injury, Vissett had a batting average of 0.225 with four homers, 31 RBIs and an OPS of 0.598. Despite the injury, he was far from hitting 175 or more hits in three consecutive years through 2021, 2022, and last year.
Reporter Rosenthal said, "The trade of Vicett is to remove the uncertainty surrounding the starting lineup," adding, "Trading him will make it easier to use Andres Jimenez, who was recently brought from the Cleveland Guardians, as a new shortstop, and help secure finances to recruit big players such as Bregman and ace pitcher Corbin Burns."
Visett has a year left on his three-year, $33.6 million contract signed in early 2023, with an annual salary of $16.5 million next year. In other words, it is a reason why the possibility of a trade is not high. Reporter Rosenthal predicted, "Toronto wants to sell Visett, but the price is too high. It will be difficult for the FA to find a team to accept a player with only one year left after the worst season."
Toronto went to the final offer stage last winter by participating in a series of scramble for Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, but failed to win their hearts. In the case of Ohtani, it is known that he offered $700 million, similar to the LA Dodgers, and for Soto, he offered $760 million, just $5 million less than the 15-year contract of $765 million signed with the New York Mets.
Reporter Rosenthal said, "There are rumors that Toronto, which has been eliminated from the competition for Ohtani and Soto in the offseason, is desperately trying to do something big this winter."
First of all, Toronto has been trading Jimenez from Cleveland, who hits defense, mobility, and full-time batting average of 250, including winning the Gold Glove for the last three consecutive years on the 11th.