The Toronto Blue Jays could go in-house to replace Bo Bichette amid some free agent rumors.
Toronto has yet to re-sign Bichette, who remains a free agent and could sign elsewhere. If the Blue Jays do lose Bichette, the team will likely pursue other bats to replace him. But, in the long term, Toronto has some options.
The Blue Jays drafted JoJo Parker in the first round last year, and the team selected Arjun Nimmala in the first round in 2023. However, there is another name that could be a future answer at shortstop for the Blue Jays.
In 2021, the Blue Jays signed shortstop Manuel Beltre to a sizable $2.35 million deal in International Free Agency. Beltre was ranked as the 21st-best prospect, and the Blue Jays jumped at the chance to sign a potential shortstop of the future.
However, Beltre has struggled to live up to the hype as he’s spent the last three seasons in Dunedin and hasn’t progressed. With that, Beltre is taking matters into his own hands, and he’s now playing Winter Ball in Australia and showcasing his skills.
Beltre is playing for Perth, and this season, he’s hitting .269 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs. Although he isn’t a powerful hitter, he is a contact-first hitter who’s also a good defender.
If Beltre can continue to improve at the plate, he could finally start to work his way through the Jays’ minor leagues and eventually reach the Majors. At just 21 years old, there is still plenty of time for the Dominican to be a potential long-term answer at shortstop.
Blue Jays Have ‘Challenged’ Beltre in Development
Beltre was one of the top International Free Agents in 2021, and Toronto thought highly enough of him to sign him for $2.35 million.
In 2024, Beltre was the team’s 28th-ranked prospect, while he wasn’t on the list in 2025, according to MLB Pipeline. But, in the 2024 update, the outlet had high praise for Beltre, thinking he can have a future in the big leagues.
“The Blue Jays handed MLB Pipeline’s No. 23-ranked prospect in the 2021 international class a $2.35 million bonus due to their faith in Beltre’s maturity as a player and a person,” the article read. … “The Blue Jays have challenged Beltre to increase his exit velocities and start impacting the baseball more consistently.
“The early reviews are positive, as Beltre has put on nearly 15 pounds, but we’ll need to see if that can translate to power in actual games. Thirty home runs isn’t the goal here, but if the Blue Jays can get Beltre to drive the ball, some of those will start sneaking through the infield and some singles could turn into doubles. He has impressive zone control, so if there’s any power to come, he should have no trouble getting to it.”
Beltre is a good enough defender that he has a chance to stick at shortstop. But, he will need to develop even quicker with the Blue Jays having Parker and Nimmala in the system.
Latest Bo Bichette Update
Toronto has continued to show interest in Bichette, and one insider expects him to land with the Blue Jays.
MLB insider Jon Heyman did a live stream on Bleacher Report and predicted Bichette will re-sign with the Blue Jays.
“I’m going to say he sticks with Toronto,” Heyman said on Tuesday. “There hasn’t been a lot of reporting on that. Certainly, the Red Sox are a possibility if he does not end up with Toronto. To me, it’s a marriage that works, so I think Toronto.”
Bichette has spent his entire career with Toronto and has said he wants to return.
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