Blue Jays news: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ultimatum, Bo Bichette's future, Anthopoulos poaching

It's been a tumultuous offseason for the Toronto Blue Jays already, most notably ponying up a massive offer for Juan Soto only to seemingly be left largely out of consideration. And, unfortunately, things don't appear like they're about to settle down any time soon for Ross Atkins. When it comes to the futures of the organization's two young stars, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, this could be their final season in Toronto.

So what's the latest news and updates about those two situations with the Blue Jays in particular? Let's dive in.

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Braves, Alex Anthopolous appear primed to poach Bo Bichette in 2026

As mentioned, shortstop Bo Bichette is entering the final season of club control with the Blue Jays and the writing has been on the wall that, if the organization is able to keep either of their young MLB legacy stars, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be the priority. What's worse, though, is that it seems like former Blue Jays front office member turned Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos is already waiting in the wings to steal Bichette away heading into the 2026 season.

While there are already trade rumblings regarding Bichette before Opening Day of the 2025 season, his free agency fits perfectly into what the Braves have (and perhaps more importantly haven't) done this offseason. Anthopoulos and Atlanta are looking to upgrade from Orlando Arcia at shortstop and reportedly were heavily involved in pursuing Willy Adames before he landed with the San Francisco Giants.

But as Steven Teal of House That Hank Built noted, the relative inactivity since the could indicate Anthopoulos eyeing Bichette and stealing him from his former employer:

"This would be an absolute no-brainer for the Braves as Bichette would turn 28 before the 2026 season and provide them with an incredible upgrade at shortstop. This would depend on how well 2025 goes for Bichette and if Atlanta feels like there are no internal options suitable to fill the role."

Teal also notes that's not a formality as the Braves could conceivably look to Nacho Alvarez Jr. to step into that role depending on their belief in the young infielder. At the same time, though, Bichette is far more proven. And letting Anthopoulos come in to make such a move would certainly be a twist of the knife for Blue Jays fans when it comes to their shortstop.

Bo Bichette may not finish final season with Blue Jays

Speaking of Bichette, though, there is at least some realistic possibility that before Anthopoulos and the Braves pursue him in free agency that he's already not been a member of the Blue Jays for some meaningful amount of time. That's because, depending on how the season begins for Toronto in the 2025 campaign, he is apparently a prime trade candidate, albeit at an expensive price.

MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic ($) recently reported that the Blue Jays could field offers on him in the trade market, a stark switch from what we heard in early November. However, Rosenthal also notes that Atkins and Toronto aren't "shopping" Bichette but could be willing to listen to trade offers, particularly midseason near the deadline if they're out of contention. He also reported that it would take a "high price" to do so.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Rosenthal's report isn't the possibility of a trade, though. Instead, all indications are that this will be the last season he spends with the Blue Jays, if he even makes it the full year. The acquisition of Andres Gimenez gives Toronto another option to move to shortstop amid losing Bichette. Moreover, Rosenthal reported that the organization doesn't appear nearly as inclined or aggressive to bring back Bichette as they do with Vladdy.

It's a turning point for the franchise next offseason but that actually begins right now. Do the Blue Jays aim to trade Bichette sooner rather than later, even as he comes off a down season, or do they instead gamble that he'll improve his value leading up to the trade deadline? And, of course, they could also end up just riding it out. Whatever decision is made, though, could have a massive impact on the future of the team's infield.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gives Blue Jays deadline for new contract

No player and his future will have a bigger impact on the Blue Jays infield moving forward, though, than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. While some around baseball have questioned the consistency of the legacy first baseman, the highs of Vladdy have been enormous, including a 2024 campaign in which the slugging right-hander slashed a remarkable .323/.396/.544 line while belting 30 homers, hitting 44 doubles and drivving hin 103 runs, good for accruing 6.2 WAR, the second highest of his career.

Rosenthal, in his report, mentioned that the Blue Jays want to get Guerrero locked into a long-term contract extension before the end of his final year of club control. For his part, Vladdy has expressed he's willing to explore the same — at the right price of course. However, Guerrero's entrance is also reportedly marked with a time stamp and a deadline for Toronto.

In a recent interview with Abriendo Sports, Vladdy stated that he wouldn't negotiate with the Blue Jays on an extension past the first full day of spring training. Though we don't have that date officially, we're looking at a mid-to-late February ultimatum being set for Toronto to get their best deal on the table.

The unfortunate part is that Guerrero and the Blue Jays don't appear to be close. In the same interview, Vladdy candidly said that the Juan Soto $765 million megadeal changed the first baseman's number he would be seeking on a new deal, as it should given his age and prowess. Moreover, some reports have indicated that the most recent offer Toronto was well off the number that Guerrero is seeking.

That doesn't mean the Blue Jays, who have shown an aggressive willingness to spend in fruitless free agent endeavors of recent years, can't get to that number. It does, however, mean that Toronto has less than two months to try and make it happen before the risk of losing him entirely is heightened greatly.