Blue Jays get major advantage in Bo Bichette free agency pursuit after Braves' $20M decision

Hunter Cookston

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Blue Jays get major advantage in Bo Bichette free agency pursuit after Braves' $20M decision image

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a season in which they were just one game shy of winning the World Series. To be more specific, they were three outs away from claiming the title before the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to kick it into high gear. During that run, Bo Bichette elevated his stock heading into free agency.

“Can confirm Bo Bichette has received interest from multiple teams who view him as a second baseman or third baseman, due to the presence of an established shortstop on those rosters. Further evidence that the World Series augmented his value in the marketplace,” MLB insider Jon Morosi posted.

Bichette is expected to command a massive deal from whichever team signs him during the offseason.

“‘The key question facing Bichette's free agency is how teams will view him positionally. If a club is willing to stomach his shortstop defense, then the comparison to Willy Adames' agreement with the Giants (seven years, $182 million) is a good reference point. I'm going to assume that will be the case, at least in the short term. I'll add in some extra coin because of Bichette's age advantage and inflation. Seven years, $189 million ($27 million AAV),’” CBS Sports’ RJ Anderson wrote.

Earlier this week, the Braves signed Ha-Seong Kim to a deal, which could be a positive sign for the Blue Jays in their pursuit of bringing Bichette back.

“Nevertheless, at $20 million, the Braves have more or less committed to Kim being their shortstop in 2026. With Ozzie Albies locked in at second base and Austin Riley manning the hot corner, their infield is completely full. Which hopefully means they'll exit the Bo Bichette sweepstakes,” Jays Journal’s Brandon Glick wrote.

The Blue Jays will ultimately have to choose between Kyle Tucker or Bichette, but fans would likely be more upset if the team didn’t re-sign the infielder. Bichette has also expressed his desire to stay with Toronto.

Time will tell which direction both sides will take, but this is certainly a positive sign for the Blue Jays. At this point, the only significant obstacle standing between Bichette and a return to Toronto appears to be the Boston Red Sox.

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