Bo Bichette will return to the Blue Jays lineup after a 47-day layoff to play in the World Series. He'll also be a free agent come the end of the post-season.
Yet Bichette has expressed his desire to remain in Toronto multiple times, and Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro conveyed a similar sentiment before Game 1 on Friday.
"I get that impression from him and most of the other players here," Shapiro said when asked about Bichette wanting to stay long term on Blue Jays Central before first pitch. "I think the understanding (is) that this is a special place to play. We're thinking about every way possible to make it special for our players.
"But the fans and the support here, recognizing that it's a nation when we go play on the road. No team travels like our team travels, fan-wise. So I think there's certainly that appreciation from Bo, who's spent his whole career here."
Bichette was enjoying a bounce-back season before missing most of September. The 27-year-old slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs and led MLB with 181 hits at the time of his injury. He still finished tied for second in hits and second in doubles (44) despite missing the final 20 games of the year.
Now the career Blue Jay will line up at second base in the highest-leverage game of his seven-year career, a position he hasn't played since suiting up for a single game at the keystone position with triple-A Buffalo in 2019.
Still, Bichette's Blue Jays tenure extends far beyond his last game at second, all the way back to when the organization selected him in the second round of the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft. He's hoping that it also continues well into the future.
"My goal is to stay here for my entire career," Bichette said to reporters Friday.
