Blue Jays Former Star Bo Bichette Addresses ‘Future’ With Mets With Opt Out Looming

The Toronto Blue Jays reloaded their roster with plenty of win-now talent this offseason, but one key piece has departed and it won’t be easy for the team to replace him.

After seven big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, including several standout campaigns at the plate, longtime shortstop Bo Bichette departed for the New York Mets in free agency. Long-time fans of the team will have a hard time getting over the loss of Bichette and the Blue Jays’ batting order might struggle in his absence as well.

But in the immediate aftermath of the departure, it wasn’t clear that the Blue Jays had a lot of interest in retaining Bichette.

“It was the New York Mets who chose to pay stupid short-term money for Bichette,” Steve Simmons wrote for the Toronto Sun. “The Jays’ offer for Bichette, if there was one — and we’re not certain there was — was nowhere in that league. Not term. Not money. Not anything.”

Toronto Blue Jays Lose Bo Bichette To New York Mets For ‘Stupid Short-Term Money’

Simmons was referring to the three-year, $126 million deal that Bichette secured from the Mets, which reportedly came shortly after he negotiated a large offer with the Philadelphia Phillies. Bichette’s Mets contract only pays him $15 million of that salary next season but it also includes a player opt out after each year, which could translate into some valuable flexibility for Bichette.

If he’s able to demonstrate that he is healthy after missing much of the Blue Jays’ playoff run last season, that he can manage a switch to third base and that his offensive production wasn’t an anomaly, Bichette will have a compelling opportunity to leave the Mets deal and negotiate something new with the open market.

New York Mets Star Bo Bichette Acknowledges Upcoming ‘Freedom’ With Opt Out

The former Blue Jays shortstop addressed that option head on when he was discussing the season ahead with The Athletic’s Will Sammon.

“I just look at it as I am fully invested in this team right now and I see myself on this team in the future,” Bichette told Sammon. “Obviously, the goal of any player is to have freedom for their career. So I am definitely grateful for that. But I am fully invested in this team and ready to help this team win, and I really hope it works out for the long term.”

While addressing the value of an upcoming opportunity to leave the Mets, Bichette emphasized that potential contract talks don’t impact his focus for the upcoming season. But it could be hard to put aside visions of Bichette in a new uniform if he picks up where he left off for the Blue Jays.

Blue Jays Former Star Bo Bichette Addresses ‘Future’ With Mets With Opt Out Looming

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