Blue Jays losing Vlad and Bo? ‘That is not the desired outcome’

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins wasn’t about to open his negotiating playbook when asked about his two looming mega free agents, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette.

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But in his media availability prior to Thursday’s season opener against the Baltimore Orioles Atkins offered a glimpse on how the team would move on from the two home-grown cornerstones should they bolt after the 2025 season.

“That is not the desired outcome,” Atkins said when asked how the Jays would look to replace Vlad and Bo. “We will have to have good stories within our player development system and free agency and be open to trades if we are facing that.

“We don’t just adjust to that over a week or a month. You’re constantly planning for having the right amount of depth and roster construction to sustain a winning environment. Fortunately we’ve had the resources to add via free agency. In the event that we don’t have those players here there will be other avenues.”

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Presumably the Jays want to avoid that, but by allowing both players to get to their walk year, here we are. As for the possibility of ongoing negotiations with each player, Atkins was both enthusiastic and vague.

“Just getting into the detail of any negotiation is not the most productive thing for us or for Vlad,” Atkins said on the subject of Guerrero specifically. “(We) remain very hopeful.

“It’s just been the same. We’ve been consistently hopeful that we can reach an agreement and whether that happens during the season or via free agency, we will stay open and never close any doors.”

As for the urgency of commanding a playoff team in the potential last year of the Vlad Guerrero Jr., Atkins isn’t flinching.

“I’ve felt pressure from Day 1,” the GM said. “So do our players, everyone in baseball operations. We feel the pressure to put a winning team on the field and that has never changed. I just embrace my job every day and focus on how I can get better.”