Bo Bichette staying in Toronto on a massive contract and sliding to second base feels like a tight fit. According to CBS’ s Mike Axisa, t hat feels like the right prediction for this homegrown star who is so emotionally tied to the franchise and its star Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.
Especially after getting to the 11th inning of Game 7 of the World Series with this group.
The on-field case is obvious.
Bichette just finished a bounce-back year at.311/.… with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs over 139 games, then returned from a left PCL sprain in October and took second base during the World Series to get his bat in the lineup. The stat line supports the “pay him and keep him” plan; the knee explains the temporary (and potentially permanent) shift to the other side of the bag.
Zooming out, the career track record is still impressive. He has a.294 average, 111 homers, and an.806 OPS through 3,000+ career at-bats before his age-28 season. That profile ages fine at second if the arm and range play better there than at short, and the World Series cameo at 2B showed Bichette is open to it.
What does “mega” look like?
Current predictions put Bichette in the long-term, prime-year tier. Recent free-agent profiles and previews land him roughly in the high-$100s to $200–$250 million range, depending on bidders, medicals, and how a team prices the defensive move. In any case, it’s a true-star commitment that treats his bat as the anchor.
Can Toronto carry that number?
Public trackers have the Blue Jays operating near the top tier already, and forward-looking tables suggest there’s room if ownership green-lights a star deal and the front office threads value elsewhere on the roster. The exact 2026 figure will move with options and arbitration, but both Spotrac and Cot’s show a club that can make a headline contract work with planning.
The position change is the strategic piece.
Bichette’s knee didn’t require surgery, but the late-season return pushed the Jays to try him at second base during the Series. Extending that into 2026 would preserve the bat, lighten the defensive load, and let Toronto shop intentionally for a true shortstop—raising the floor on run prevention while keeping a star hitter every day at second. That’s the cleaner roster map than forcing a quick return to short just because that’s where the nameplate has been.
There’s still a market arguing he won’t stay.
Multiple national previews have sketched landing-spot lists that put Bichette elsewhere, from “powerhouse” projections to team-specific Top-10 fits. Those pieces underscore what everyone knows: if Toronto hesitates, there will be a bidding war, and it won’t take long.
The Jays can end the drama now—long deal, second base as the new normal, shortstop as the shopping lane—and walk into 2026 with clarity. The numbers are big because the bat is big. If they wait, the “he’s leaving” scenario gets louder, the price climbs, and the infield plan loses its clean lines. Toronto has the leverage and the payroll to keep its core intact; Bichette at second is how that stability actually looks on the field.
