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TORONTO -- What about Bo Bichette?

The 26-year-old shortstop feels like the forgotten man, lost again in the long shadow of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the looming decision that could alter the direction of this franchise. So much has changed in just a year. Besides, it¡¯s a ¡°what have you done for me lately?¡± league.

A year ago, Bichette was coming off a .306 average with an .814 OPS, and while he wasn¡¯t chasing a Gold Glove Award, we weren¡¯t finding as many reasons to talk about his defense. Bichette felt like the sure thing -- easier to forecast extensions for -- while Guerrero felt like the wild card. The 2024 season sent each of them shooting in the opposite direction, so here we stand.

Bichette¡¯s recurring calf injuries limited him to just 81 games in 2024, and when he was on the field we saw a young hitter searching for something he rarely found. The .225 average and .599 OPS were so unlike Bichette, who has known success at every level, which brought on its own challenges. That¡¯s over now. No player in baseball will be happier to see the stats reset to zeros in the new year, and if the Blue Jays are going to do anything worth talking about in ¡®25, Bichette¡¯s comeback needs to be one of the biggest stories of the season.

¡°Having Bo back this year, I think that¡¯s going under the radar a little bit with what he¡¯s capable of doing,¡± said manager John Schneider. ¡°That immediately adds an impact bat with 30-homer potential at the shortstop position.¡±

Step one? A new haircut. The trademark flow is gone. Vladdy hit .359 with a 1.084 OPS after a trip to the barber last June 19, so it¡¯s worth a try.

The trade talk & the future

The Blue Jays¡¯ acquisition of Andr¨¦s Gim¨¦nez from the Guardians changed this conversation. The Blue Jays already had the underrated Leo Jim¨¦nez in-house as a potential shortstop of the future if Bichette departs in free agency following the 2025 season -- which feels likely -- but Gim¨¦nez is one of the best defenders in the game at second base and would have little issue sliding to short in ¡®26.

Speaking soon after the deal, GM Ross Atkins reiterated that the Blue Jays were acquiring Gim¨¦nez as a second baseman, but you don¡¯t need a fancy degree to see how this could play out.

This has brought about the expected narrative that Bichette could be dealt ahead of ¡®25, but that neither feels likely nor beneficial to the Blue Jays.

Toronto's hope needs to be anchored in this: Bichette is a baseball nut and he should be landing in camp as one of the most motivated players in baseball. What better motivation than hitting this free agent market at just 27?

Forecasting Bichette's next contract

This was such a simpler conversation a year ago. Thankfully for Bichette, a short memory can work in both directions. If he bounces close to his career norms -- an .800 OPS and a 4.0 WAR -- then he¡¯ll immediately become one of the most attractive names on the market next offseason behind Vladdy and Kyle Tucker.

In the best-case scenario for Bichette, take the Willy Adames contract with the Giants (7 years, $182 million) or the Dansby Swanson contract with the Cubs (7 years, $177 million) to use as frameworks for the ceiling. If we see something closer to ¡®24 again, then anything is on the table, from a pillow contract that resets Bichette¡¯s value to a shorter deal with a lower annual value.

Frankly, after 2024, anything is possible. Whether that¡¯s a good or a bad thing is for Bichette to decide, and there may be no player in this organization -- Vladdy included -- with a greater ability to change this club¡¯s ¡®25 trajectory.