Bo Bichette will return to the Blue Jays after a 47-day layoff to play in the World Series. He will also become a free agent at the end of the postseason.
However, Bichette has repeatedly expressed his desire to remain in Toronto, and Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro expressed a similar sentiment before Friday's Game 1.
“That's the impression I got from him and most of the other players here,” Shapiro said when asked about Bichette's desire to stay long-term with the Blue Jays Central before the first pitch. “I think we understand that this is a special place to play. We're thinking of all the ways we can to make it special for our players.”
“But the fans and support are here, the awareness that this is a nation when we play away. No team travels like our team from a fan perspective. So I think Bo, who spent his entire career here, definitely has an appreciation.”
Bichette enjoyed a recovery season before missing most of September. The 27-year-old hit .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs and led MLB with 181 hits at the time of the injury. He still finished second in hits and second in doubles (44) despite missing the final 20 games of the year.
The Blue Jay will now take over second base in the highest-scoring game of his seven-year career, a position he hasn't played since suiting up for one game at the key position with Triple-A Buffalo in 2019.
However, Bichette's tenure with the Blue Jays extends well beyond his last game at second, dating back to when the organization selected him in the second round of the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft. He hopes this will continue in the future.
“My goal is to stay here for the rest of my career,” Bichette told reporters Friday.
