Blue Jays Skipper Sends ‘Dumb’ Bo Bichette Message After Mets Exit

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 3: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets successful the dugout earlier a crippled against the Atlanta Braves astatine Truist Park connected July 3, 2026 successful Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images)

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The Toronto Blue Jays person spent overmuch of the play trying to find the correct look for an discourtesy that has not lived up to its sizeable potential.

Ultimately, that has put accrued attraction connected franchise slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., peculiarly arsenic his struggles person prompted questions astir whether head John Schneider should move the prima first baseman little successful the lineup.

“It’s easy for group to look astatine the Jays’ lineup each time and kick astir wherever Guerrero is batting,” Gregor Chisholm wrote for the Toronto Star. “It’s overmuch much difficult to travel up pinch an replacement lineup that makes consciousness and isn’t throwing darts astatine a committee and hoping it each useful out.”

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Toronto Blue Jays’ John Schneider Sends Bo Bichette Message Amid Questions About Slump

Schneider has faced a akin business successful the past and he recalled his acquisition pinch erstwhile Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette — who near the squad to subordinate the New York Mets this play — arsenic an mentation for why he has been reluctant to usage lineup position arsenic a motivational maneuver pinch Guerrero.

Early successful Schneider's tenure arsenic Blue Jays manager, Bichette was struggling, and Schneider responded by moving him down to seventh successful the batting order. But the determination did not spell complete peculiarly good pinch the erstwhile prima player.

This week, Schneider recalled that he had texted Bichette the nighttime earlier informing him that the lineup was being shuffled without telling him precisely wherever he would hit. Once Bichette saw the lineup, he had immoderate harsh words for the skipper and Schneider now views the determination arsenic a foolish measurement to grip a slumping star.

“That was reactionary and maine being young successful the occupation … and dumb,” Schneider explained, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. “I deliberation Bo is different than Vlad. You tin strategically effort to piss him disconnected to get him going. I don’t deliberation that strategically pissing disconnected Vlad is going to alteration much.”

That favoritism is important arsenic the Blue Jays see really to grip Guerrero.

Toronto Blue Jays Manager Defends Lineup Decision Following Bo Bichette Move

Despite the unit surrounding Guerrero's production, Schneider has made it clear that he does not position moving him down the lineup arsenic a elemental solution.

“I don’t want to punish (Guerrero),” Schneider added, per Matheson. “I deliberation if location were guys tearing the screen disconnected the ball, that would beryllium a small easier to deliberation about, too. We are built, arsenic a team, for Vlad to beryllium a focal constituent of our offense. I don’t deliberation that, pinch wherever he hits, he will beryllium sounded very differently. I don’t deliberation location will beryllium much aliases little unit if he’s hitting down successful the order. I want him up successful important”

That accuracy helps explicate why Schneider continues to position Guerrero arsenic a focal constituent alternatively than treating his lineup position arsenic thing that should alteration simply because of a difficult stretch. And a fewer months aft Bichette departed for the Mets, it’s evident that his aged head still remembers his guidance arsenic he tries to navigate the Blue Jays’ ongoing violative struggles.