The Toronto Blue Jays began free agency confident they could land both Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker. However, their plans hit a snag when they decided to sign Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto. According to MLB insider Jim Bowden, this move effectively limits Toronto to signing either Bichette or Tucker, not both.
“It takes them out of doing both Tucker and Bichette, but it doesn't take them out of doing one or the other,” Bowden said on Foul Territory.
Recent developments aren’t encouraging for Toronto fans hoping to bring Bichette back, as he appears to be trending away from the Blue Jays. He is reportedly scheduled for a meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
“The official spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing talks, but confirmed a report by The Athletic that the Phillies scheduled a virtual meeting with Bichette on Monday, Jan. 12 to discuss the possibility of joining the Phillies,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.
Given this, Sportsnaut’s Matt Johnson believes Toronto will go all-in on Tucker instead.
“The Toronto Blue Jays are going to make another big splash in MLB free agency; it’s just going to be Kyle Tucker instead of Bo Bichette. We do suspect the Los Angeles Dodgers would be a lot more willing to get involved if the All-Star outfielder were willing to take a short-term deal with a very high average annual value. Toronto, as it has demonstrated, is one of the few teams this winter willing to sign long-term deals. That will land Tucker in a Blue Jays’ uniform, completing a very aggressive offseason that should really serve as the model for World Series contenders,” Johnson wrote.
Tucker could be the missing piece for Toronto in 2026. After falling just one win short of a World Series title, adding a player with postseason experience could make all the difference.
The Blue Jays know they can’t miss out on both Tucker and Bichette, so focusing on landing their star outfielder makes perfect sense. That said, losing a fan favorite like Bichette is bound to sting for a while.
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