Introducing the $340M man
Bad memories of how last season ended drive push to keep improving
The San Diego Padres called it a “statue contract.” As in, when their monster 14-year, $340million (U.S.) deal with Fernando Tatis Jr. ends, they’ll be making plans for a likeness of the all-star shortstop outside Petco Park — or whatever it’s called by then. The 22-year-old Tatis might have several seasons left in him at that point, but his long-term future was secured Monday when his near-record contract was finalized. Said Tatis: “Nothing’s going to change. I’m playing the game I love.”
Bo Bichette was having a reflective day and didn’t fancy what he saw in the mirror.
Not in the rear-view mirror anyway.
Most of us look at the 22year-old Blue Jay and see the face of the franchise. Also, shampoo commercial-worthy tresses. Also, through the looking glass, undarkly, the beating heart of the club.
All that youth, all that talent, all that high-spiritedness.
Yet Bichette was almost — uncharacteristically — dour when he slid in for a Zoom session with reporters on Monday, first day of everyhand-on-deck workouts at spring training in Dunedin.
“I need to get better at a lot of things. Really, I didn’t like how I ended the season last year: physically, defensively, offensively, every part of the game.”
It was, admittedly, a frustrating season for Bichette, even as the team returned to the playoffs, albeit a “blink and it’s gone” two-game sweep by Tampa Bay. A right knee sprain cost him nearly a month of the pandemic-truncated schedule.
“I was healthy enough to produce at a higher level than I did,” Bichette obstinately asserted.
His numbers were nevertheless dandy, batting .301 across 29 games. In 75 career games at the major-league level, he boasts a slash line of .307/.347/ .549 with 16 home runs. Not to mention, in debut 2019, having his name etched in the record annals alongside the likes of Ted Williams for hits by a rookie in consecutive games and most sequential doubles.
Too 15 minutes ago? Bichette is imprecise about what he found displeasing.
“It was kind of everything. It stemmed from maybe the mental energy I had. I don’t know what it was. Last year took a toll on everybody. I didn’t handle it as best as some of the guys around the league did. So for me, it’s about learning from that and not making the same mistakes.”
There were some notable mistakes, afield and on the basepaths, most flinchingly in the exit game where Bichette committed two errors as the Rays demolished Toronto 8-2. He went 0-for-the playoffs at the plate to boot. Hard to berate the kid, though, in what was a teamwide clunker. He was still, and remains, the roster dynamo and offensive sparkplug. Despite his tender years, Bichette had assumed the mantle of leadership and clubhouse morale-booster-inchief.
Except not so much on this afternoon, with the finger pointed inward. To scrub out that shrivel of a post-season, Bichette attacked the off-season, reporting to camp in the best shape ever. Which was quickly noticed.
“He worked his butt off,” observed manager Charlie Montoyo, revealing the coaching staff had challenged Bichette to elevate his game when 2020 concluded. While the ensuing evidence consisted of just one day under the Florida sun, the skipper was impressed.
“The one good thing about this kid, if you challenge him, he’s going to do it, you know what I’m saying? And we challenged him. His arm strength looks a lot better. And his legs, if you see them right now, they’re huge.”
Well, we can’t see them because reporters aren’t there, the organization not permitting us to step further than the parking lot at the facility, at this time, because of hyper COVID-19 restrictions.
The Jays also had a weird way of showing their oft-expressed adoration of Bichette over the winter with their purported pursuit of all-star Francisco Lindor, ultimately grabbed by the Mets via trade. Surely if the Jays want to lock in Bichette with a long-term contract they wouldn’t have sought to displace him, or annoy him.
Bichette was aware of the yammer. How could he not be? If rankled, he’s not copping to it.
“Francisco’s a great player, so the rumours aren’t something that are necessarily surprising,” Bichette shrugged. “I’ve told you guys a bunch of times, I want to be a shortstop. I think I can be a really good one and I’m going to put the work in. This off-season, I heard the rumours but really it’s just all about continuing to work as much as I can at shortstop, because I was still a shortstop at the time, so nothing changed for me.”
The Jays could, of course, show their fealty to Bichette by pre-emptively throwing a wheelbarrow of cash at him, as the Padres did Monday by officially signing shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. to a 14-year megadeal worth $340 million (U.S.).
“I think it’s really powerful that an organization believed in him enough to put the commitment they did,” said Bichette, piling on the laurels for Tatis. “It’s good for Fernando, it’s good for the Padres, that means it’s good for baseball. On my end of things, I’m open (to an extension), but obviously there’s more important things to handle with camp starting and that’s where my focus is.”
When Bichette casts his eyes slightly to the left, what comes into sharp focus is Marcus Semien, the career shortstop procured late last month, whom the Jays intend to deploy primarily at second base. No prob, says Semien.
The Jays did let Bichette know immediately about acquiring the 30-year-old.
“I was called the minute that they reached an agreement, basically to tell me before the news came out that I was still playing shortstop.”
That’s the crux of the thing. Bichette completely self-identifies as shortstop.
They were out there on Monday, Bichette and Semien, getting the measure of their double-play rhythm. Since minor-league days, Bichette has worked that groove with Cavan Biggio, who could now get shifted to third, but tenancy of the hot corner will be vigorously contested with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
“It was different with Cav,” said Bichette.
“Normally shortstops and second basemen kind of do everything together. Me and Cav, in the past couple of years, really didn’t care if we were together or not because we knew each other so well. This spring, I’ll be with Marcus probably the whole time, doing everything with him. We’ll just work with each other — double plays, everything — and we’ll just talk our way through the process and learn from each other.”
Montoyo is undecided where he will slot Bichette in the batting order, nor does it matter much to the player. He hit second in 22 games last season and leadoff seven times.
“I think in the top of the lineup, but I don’t care: one, two, three. It doesn’t change my approach either way. You guys know, I’m going to swing the bat, I’m going to be aggressive.”
Whatever, the Jays are guaranteed to have an explosive lineup.
“It can be one of the best in the league,” Bichette ventured. “We were pretty close to that last year. And then, obviously adding some really good players, we’ve got a chance to be really good, so it’s exciting. I can’t wait to get started.”
Now that sounds more like the Bo we all know.