TORONTO 鈥� Shortstop Bo Bichette has big expectations for the upgraded Toronto Blue Jays.
鈥淚 believe in the team, just like I did last year,鈥� Bichette said Monday as the Blue Jays held their first full-squad workout in Dunedin, Florida. 鈥淥bviously we added some new names."
鈥淚 think this year, if we go home without a trophy, that鈥檒l be disappointing,鈥� he said.
Toronto was among the busiest teams on the free-agent market, agreeing to a $150 million, six-year contract with outfielder George Springer; an $18 million, one-year contract with shortstop Marcus Semien; a $5.5 million, one-year deal with right-hander Kirby Yates; a $3 million, one-year contract with right-hander Tyler Chatwood and a $1.75 million, one-year contract with right-hander David Phelps.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very excited, we all believe in ourselves, and we believe that we can play with the best teams,鈥� Bichette said.
Semien said he鈥檚 already impressed by the winning attitude at camp.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a level of confidence I鈥檓 excited about,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get better as time goes on but I like where we鈥檙e starting.鈥�
The Blue Jays went 32-28 last season, finishing third in the AL East behind Tampa Bay and the Yankees and qualifying for the expanded 16-team
Back in the playoffs for the first time in four years, Toronto was swept in two games by the AL champion Rays in a first-round series.
Springer was a perennial playoff performer in Houston, helping the Astros win their first-ever World Series in 2017. He was MVP of that seven-game victory over the Los Angeles Dodegrs.
鈥淗e鈥檚 put up some crazy numbers on the biggest stage in the game and that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 about,鈥� Bichette said. 鈥淲hen we make the playoffs, if we make the playoffs, we鈥檒l be able to watch him and see how he goes about his business.鈥�
Bichette had an explosive debut with Toronto after being called up July 29, 2019, collecting 13 extra base hits in his first 11 games and becoming the first rookie since Ted Williams to record extra-base hits in nine straight games.
Bichette, who turns 23 next month, hit .301 with five home runs and 23 RBIs in 29 games last year during the virus-shortened season. He missed some time with a knee sprain.
Manager Charlie Montoyo views Bichette as a future All-Star.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got confidence and he knows he鈥檚 a winner,鈥� Montoyo said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to help us win a lot of games just because he鈥檚 got that.鈥�
Even so, the Blue Jays pursued a trade for shortstop Francisco Lindor over the winter, but the former Cleveland star ended up with the New York Mets. Toronto eventually signed Semien, who played shortstop with Oakland but is expected to play second base with the Blue Jays, something the team made sure Bichette understood right away.
鈥淚 was called the minute that they reached an agreement (with Semien), basically to tell me before the news came out that I was still playing shortstop,鈥� Bichette said.
On the same day Padres star Fernando Tatis finalized his $340-million, 14-year deal, Bichette said he and the Blue Jays discussed a potential long-term contract over the winter, but no formal offer was ever made.
鈥淚鈥檓 open but obviously there鈥檚 more important things at hand,鈥� Bichette said. 鈥淚 would rather focus on spring training, the season ahead, but we鈥檒l see what happens.鈥�
Unable to play in Canada because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Blue Jays will play their first two homestands of the regular season at their spring training facility in Dunedin, just a few miles from where Bichette grew up and went to high school in St. Petersburg.
鈥淥bviously we all would much rather be in Toronto鈥� Bichette said. 鈥淔or me, personally, I guess it鈥檚 the best of the worst-case scenario to be home, be in a comfortable spot.鈥�
A return north of the border would be made easier by widespread vaccinations of players and team officials. So far, however, Bichette said the Blue Jays have not discussed a team-wide vaccination program. Even he hasn鈥檛 decided whether or not to get vaccinated.
鈥淲e鈥檒l see,鈥� Bichette said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have enough data on it but I鈥檒l look at the data and figure out if it鈥檚 good for me or not.鈥�
Bichette鈥檚 father Dante, who hit 274 home runs over 14 big league seasons, was a member of Toronto鈥檚 coaching staff in 2020 but has stepped back from that role this year and is now a special assistant.
鈥淚t was a family decision,鈥� the younger Bichette said. 鈥淚 think my dad has been through the grind enough. I think he forgot what it was like to be in the clubhouse every single day.鈥�
Also Monday, the Boston Red Sox claimed right-hander Joel Payamps off waivers from the Blue Jays. Toronto had claimed Payamps on waivers from Boston on Feb. 10.
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Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
