No agreement with Bichette, arbitration on Jan. 30.

January 14, 2023 – The Toronto Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. by signing him to a one-year deal worth $14.5 million.

However, the team was unable to reach an agreement with shortstop Bo Bichette, who will be headed to an arbitration hearing on January 30th.

Vlad Guerrero Jr.

Bichette’s camp is requesting $7.5 million while the Jays are offering $5 million. This is Bichette’s first time going through the arbitration process and though an agreement could be reached before the hearing, there is still the potential for contention between the two sides.

Guerrero’s signing was the biggest deal among several transactions made by the Jays on Friday as the team agreed to 2023 contracts with 11 roster players, including Jordan Romano, Danny Jansen, and Cavan Biggio.

Guerrero will become a free agent after the 2025 season, and the team’s general manager Ross Atkins has acknowledged the importance of getting a long-term deal done well before then.

The remainder of the contracts agreed to on Friday include Infielder Cavan Biggio ($2.8 million), right-handed relief pitcher Adam Cimber ($3.15 million), infielder Santiago Espinal ($2.1 million), lefty reliever Tim Mayza,($2.1 million), righty reliever Trevor Richards ($1.5 million), righty reliever Erik Swanson ($1.24 million), righty Trent Thornton ($1 million) and outfielder Daulton Varsho ($3.05 million).

The Blue Jays have made these moves to ensure a strong and competitive team for the upcoming season and the management is still looking to make more moves to strengthen the team further.