With Bo Bichette set to hit the free agency market, the Toronto Blue Jays might be outbid. It remains uncertain just how much money they have to give him to keep him around, but it’s also important to note that they gave Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a $500 million deal.
If the idea was to pay Guerrero, why not keep other good players, like Bichette, around?
The focus for the Blue Jays over the next few weeks will be on how they play in the postseason. Unfortunately, however, for both Bichette and the Blue Jays, they can’t worry about negotiations at this moment. Bichette has to go out and make himself more money, and the Blue Jays have to do whatever it takes to win the World Series.
But perhaps more importantly for other teams around Major League Baseball will be how much Bichette gets in free agency. When examining what his deal might look like, Yahoo Sports recently predicted him to at least get a seven-year, $182 million contract, which is what Willy Adames signed with the San Francisco Giants an offseason ago.
“Bichette is nursing a sprained knee and hasn’t played since Sept. 6. Yet he’s still leading baseball in hits for a resurgent Toronto team. It has been a reassuring season at the plate for Bichette, whose offensive production completely cratered in 2024. His glove is borderline unplayable at shortstop, which will limit his market somewhat and eventually convince a team to push him to second or third. But this remains a special bat, one that would slot into the middle of any order. Willy Adames’ recent seven-year, $182 million contract feels like a reasonable target,” Jake Mintz wrote.
Will Toronto Be Able to Afford Bo Bichette?
Regarding where Bichette could land, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com questions if it’ll be in Toronto. His reasoning was due to the Toronto Blue Jays possibly not having enough money left to pay him after Guerrero’s deal.
“Bichette has had a big bounce-back season after a poor 2024, setting him up for a big payday this winter. Toronto took care of its top priority earlier this year when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed his $500 million deal, making it clear that contending in future seasons is the plan.
“But will the Jays have enough money to bring Bichette back while also addressing their other holes? Chris Bassitt is a free agent this year, while Kevin Gausman has only one year left on his deal. The guess here is that another team will ultimately offer more money/years, so it will be a matter of whether Bichette wants to stay in Toronto,” he wrote.
Blue Jays Offer What Bo Bichette Wants
Contrary to what Feinsand wrote, MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson added that he’s an easy guy, and while some have been trying to figure out if he wants to be in Toronto or not, he wants to win and play for an organization that supports that.
“Bichette isn’t a complicated guy, even though there’s been a lot of time wasted trying to get inside his head and analyze his body language. He wants to win and play for an organization that supports that. Right now, the Blue Jays check off both of those,” he noted.
As he mentioned, the Blue Jays are in as good of a spot as any team in baseball to give him both of those, so it’s something they should be able to work out if both sides want a reunion.
Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette Gets $182M Contract Prediction Amid Questions