MLB execs believe Blue Jays could be open to major deadline deals

The Toronto Blue Jays' grand offseason imploded in spectacular fashion. Once believed to be frontrunners to sign Shohei Ohtani and maybe even trade for Juan Soto, the Jays instead signed Justin Turner to replace Matt Chapman, and made a few marginal moves. The needle did not move, folks. At least not in the right direction.

At 21-25, Toronto is dead last in the AL East and 10.5 games behind the first-place Yankees. The front office faced significant scrutiny this offseason, but now the heat under Ross Atkins' seat is unbearable. The Blue Jays are hurling toward oblivion with major changes all but guaranteed. It's unclear how soon those changes take place, but the July 30 trade deadline is a little more than two months out.

That is probably a date worth marking in your calendars, Toronto fans.

According to one league executive who spoke to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, there is a belief that Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be made available in trade talks this summer.

"I don’t think [the Blue Jays are] opposed to it. They’ve talked to teams about it. The asks were ridiculous, but I think they’re going to try to retool a lot, and using those guys to get pieces may be the way to do it."

There is a new dawn on the horizon in Toronto.

Blue Jays could entertain trade talks for Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

It's important to note, of course, that Toronto is under no obligation or immediate pressure to trade Bichette and Guerrero. Both are under contract through next season, so the Blue Jays can punt this difficult decision down the road one more year if so desired. Now, will the same front office folks be in charge next season? That is less clear.

That said, timing is everything. The Blue Jays can get more for each player with an extra year of guaranteed team control. There's a meaningful difference between trading for 1.5 years of Bichette or Guerrero, and a half-season rental next July. Toronto can pivot toward an offseason fire sale, but even then, few commodities are more valuable in the MLB than time and money. Once Bichette and Guerrero hit free agency, their contract values will balloon.

It's early in the season, so the Blue Jays don't necessarily need to throw in the towel. That said, we are roughly a third of the way through the campaign and the vibes are palpably rancid. This was an organization that entered the offseason with ambitious plans and lofty goals, only to fall short on virtually every front. Now the division bottom-dwellers from last season have improved, leaving Toronto floundering in the MLB basement.

Guerrero has been the most effective of Toronto's superstar duo to date, slashing .286/.381/.394 with four home runs and 21 RBI across 175 AB. Bichette's production, meanwhile, is in the gutter. He's slashing .230/.289/.333 with two home runs and 16 RBI across 165 AB.

That adds another layer to this conundrum. Both would still fetch a healthy return package — 25 and 26-year-old stars with multiple years of team control at a hot-ticket item — but Toronto can't necessarily expect max value when both are struggling. Bichette and Guerrero were All-Stars last season, and both are struggling in areas that are generally defined as strengths. So, again, positive regression is a near lock. Vladdy's power numbers will improve and Bichette's contact rate will spike. It's still worth noting, though, as teams start to pitch their offers.

Toronto has the opportunity to really shift the balance of power in the MLB with a blockbuster trade (or two). Teams would line up around the block to acquire either Bichette or Guerrero, so expect a number of aspiring contenders to start hammering the phone lines without a care in the world about those pricey international call rates.