Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins gave Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a vote of confidence on Sunday morning during an interview on MLB Network Radio.
With the Blue Jays entering play Sunday with a 27-30 record, sitting in last place in the AL East and Bichette and Guerrero’s contract expiring after the 2026 season, questions about their future in Toronto have begun to surface.
“Both of them, especially (in) the month of May, have been solid,” Atkins said. “Vladdy’s been exceptional in May… He is in a really, really strong place.”
“Both of them have such good feel for the barrel and such good feel for competing in the batter’s box, they’re going to perform,” he later added.
Bichette entered Sunday with a .639 OPS and four home runs on the season. Three of those homers came in May when he posted a much improved .731 OPS over 25 games. Similarly, Guerrero improved his numbers in the second month of the season, posting a .678 OPS in March/April and a .917 mark in May.
With many eyes on the Blue Jays’ future, Atkins was asked about the possibility of trading one or both of the two franchise cornerstones.
“It just doesn’t make any sense for us… It’s not something that we’ve spent any time on,” he said. “Because they’re so talented and such great teammates, they are attractive to other teams. so they will call.”
As far as keeping the duo in Toronto long-term, Atkins said earlier in the interview that they have kept extension talks open with both players, and that he hopes they will be able to play with the Blue Jays for the foreseeable future.
“Of course, we have dialogue with them (about extensions) and that is something we’ll continue,” he said. “We believe in them, we believe in their futures and hope that there’s a way they can play here for a long time.”
Bichette and Guerrero weren’t the only two Blue Jays who got Atkins’ support during his radio appearance. The general manager was also asked about the job Toronto manager John Schneider has done this season.
“John has been incredible. He is at the forefront of our environment and has worked tirelessly over the off-season and on …” Atkins said. “I just don’t believe in change to change and change for the sake of trying something different.
“We have to be better. I do not feel like John Schneider has been anything but a part of the solution and will continue to be.”