The Toronto Blue Jays are going to look much different when they hit the field to kick off the 2026 regular season.

While there wasn’t a whole lot of roster turnover in the offseason, there was one major departure which will take some getting used to for fans.

Despite the Jays and Bichette seemingly having mutual interest in an extension heading into the offseason, the star infielder wound up instead agreeing to a three-year, $126 million deal with the New York Mets. It will be a major loss for the Jays, and in particular, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Guerrero and Bichette have both been viewed as the faces of this franchise for years, even when they were coming up together in the minor leagues. Not having one of his best friends around will be an adjustment for Guerrero, who made it very clear that he and Bichette remain very close even after the latter’s departure.

“He’s still my brother,” Guerrero said to MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa. “It’s gonna be the same relationship no matter what, even if he’s on another team. Because we built a good relationship [off] the field, and when you build a good relationship like that, he’s gonna be my brother forever.”

Guerrero admitted that he was “a little bit sad” but understood Bichette’s decision to move on. It’s a similar sentiment to what the five-time All-Star told Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae shortly after the news broke of Bichette joining the Mets. 

“Of course, I feel sad after playing with him for so many years,” Guerrero said. “But like I’ve always said, this is a business, and you have to look out for what’s best for you and your family.”

The good news for Blue Jays fans is that, while sad, Guerrero doesn’t seem to hold any frustration towards the organization for how the situation unfolded. Instead, he seems entirely focused on having a massive year and leading the Jays on another long playoff run.