Blue Jays waving white flag immediately with Bo Bichette could be in best interest

The Toronto Blue Jays are at an organizational crossroads after missing out on Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto in back-to-back offseasons. There is mounting uncertainty around the futures of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, who both become free agents at the end of next season.

Neither appears inclined to sign an extension. Toronto isn't short on spending power, but can it match up with the New Yorks and Los Angeleses of the world in the open market? That much is up for debate, at the very least. Ross Atkins has never been under more pressure to either deliver a winner or get the heck out of Dodge.

There's a strong case for dumping Guerrero and Bichette and smashing the reset button right now. Their value will only diminish as the trade deadline inches closer. Bichette is an especially interesting case. Guerrero is coming off an MVP-worthy campaign, but Bichette... not so much. He's coming off the worst season of his career, in which he posted a ghastly .598 OPS while battling through injuries.

It's generally not hard to drum up a trade market for 26-year-olds with two All-Stars on their resume, but Bichette has certainly complicated the matter. One could argue that Toronto should cut bait immediately, just avoid the risk of what might happen to Bichette's stock if he struggles out of the gate.

That's especially true if the right team comes knocking.

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A Blue Jays-Mariners trade centered on Bo Bichette could be Ross Atkins' best move

In his latest mailbag for The Athletic ($), former MLB GM Jim Bowden responded to a question about Bichette and the Seattle Mariners. He believes Toronto could get two top-10 prospects for the talented shortstop, with top M's prospects Colt Emerson and Cole Young on the table for Toronto.

Such a return could give the Blue Jays' farm system a significant boost. The Mariners are willing to trade some of their top prospects for a "major-league-ready first- or third-base bat," which means Bichette would slide over to the hot corner in Seattle.

There's a nonzero chance Toronto would prefer to send Bichette to the National League, but getting him out of the division and to the opposite coastline should be enough. Especially if the Mariners are still willing to pay sticker price for the beleaguered All-Star.

We shouldn't discount the immense potential tied to Bichette's skill set, which checks a ton of boxes at full strength. He isn't far removed from two straight seasons of leading the AL in total hits. Last season feels like an aberration, not the norm. A full offseason and spring training to get healthy and establish a rhythm should help.

As such, this sort of trade could benefit both sides immensely. The Blue Jays get a top prospect before it's too late, while Bichette gets a fresh start on an aspiring contender where his services are most needed. The Mariners are loaded with top-shelf pitching, but the offense has been far too anemic to get anywhere. Bichette can't fix it on his own, but he could be a major part of the solution.

Ross Atkins ought to dial up Gerard Dipoto to see what's possible here.