The Toronto Blue Jays are running out of time before the deadline, and one idea gaining traction is bringing back a face this clubhouse clearly still misses, Bo Bichette.
Toronto's July collapse has put the front office in position to move pending free agents like Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, George Springer and Daulton Varsho, reloading for 2027 rather than chasing a fading playoff shot.
The Mets, meanwhile, are in full sell-off mode at 43-60, facing a double-digit deficit in the wild card race.
That opens a real door, even if the Blue Jays probably won't walk through it.
Kevin Gausman didn't hide how much Bichette's absence still stings.
"We definitely miss him," Gausman said on the Star's "Deep Left Field" podcast. "I'm sure Vladimir Guerrero Jr. misses him, you know. That guy was one of his best friends for his first seven, eight years in the big leagues."
Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets over the winter and hasn't lived up to it, batting .256 with a .677 OPS, 10 home runs and 15 doubles, on pace for career lows across the board.
Why Andres Gimenez is the logical trade chip back
The path here runs through sending Andres Gimenez the other way, opening a spot at second base for Bichette's return with Ernie Clement sliding to shortstop.
Gimenez still grades out elite defensively, ranking in the 99th percentile in outs above average, but he's carrying a brutal .622 OPS this season and hitting just .132 in July.
Both players are owed real money too. Gimenez has three years left at roughly $73 million, while Bichette only has about $750,000 remaining this season thanks to a $40 million signing bonus, with two years left after that.
The Mets would get their former top prospect back at second base, pairing him with Francisco Lindor for a strong defensive middle infield of their own.
It's a swap built less on financial logic and more on fit, betting a change of scenery unlocks something in both players that neither current situation has produced.
Bichette's history in Toronto still resonates, including that three-run homer off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of last year's World Series.
Is a reunion like this worth the risk given how poorly both players are performing right now, or does the emotional and offensive upside make it worth exploring regardless?
Should the Blue Jays trade Andres Gimenez to bring back Bo Bichette?
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