The deeper baseball digs its way into free agency this winter, the more the stakes and the buzz surrounding former Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette will escalate.

And as the rumours continue to swirl around  the two-time all star, it’s clear that Bichette will be a dominant narrative for the Jays and general manager Ross Atkins in what looms as yet another busy off-season for the American League champs.

The latest intriguing rumour attached to Bichette emanated out of Boston on Tuesday where WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported that the Red Sox had serious interest in signing the now-free agent Bichette. 

Citing multiple sources, Bradford said that the Sox are attracted to the former Jays shortstop for a number of reasons, prime among them the prospect of the proven right-handed hitter providing a productive middle-of-the-order bat.

Defensively, there is some lukewarm appeal to having Bichette as a shortstop, but he could slot in at second base with the Red Sox, a position he proved to be reliable at even while hobbling on one leg during the World Series.

Bichette is expected to draw interest from multiple suitors, of course, but the prospect of him shifting from the Jays to an AL East rival certainly is a huge storyline for a player that has been central to the Jays success and alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. considered the cornerstone of a franchise that came so close to winning it all earlier this month.

The deadline for Bichette and other potential free agents given a qualifying offer to accept it was Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. While four players accepted the qualifying offer — Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff, New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham and Detroit second baseman Gleyber Torres — Bichette and eight others did not, becoming free agents.

Why Boston for Bo?

As mentioned, the Sox could use an impact bat high in the order and few fit the bill like Bichette, who would have had the most hits in baseball in 2025 if he hadn’t missed the final three weeks of the season due to injury.

As a Blue Jay for the duration of his career until hitting free agency, the 27-year-old also is well-versed in the parks of the AL East an has shown a fondness for Fenway thus far in his career.

In 35 games playing in the home of the Green Monster, Fenway Park, Bichette has a .327 batting average and .907 OPS.

Defensively, there’s also a possibility that Bichette could switch to third base given the possible loss of free agent Alex Bregman.

Bo’s Boston Connection

Bichette actually was a teammate — albeit briefly — of Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow back in 2018.

At the time, Bichette was an 18-year-old playing alongside Guerrero Jr. on a team in New England managed by none other than current Jays manager John Schneider.

Also on that New Hampshire Fisher Cats team, as Bradford notes, was Breslow who was then a 37-year-old pitcher trying to work his way back into the big leagues.

Bradford said that Breslow was brought into the Jays organization that season in part to help work with the young players with potential such as Guerrero and Bichette. He retired as a player following that championship season by the Cats and joined the Cubs front office the following season.

Though it’s not known how close Breslow was to the teenaged prospect at the time, it’s an interesting side angle. Bichette, like many of the Jays players, has long enjoyed visits to Fenway.

What about the Blue Jays?

For public consumption, anyway, both Atkins and Bichette have expressed a desire for free agency to return him to Toronto to rejoin Guerrero and their quest to bring a championship back to Toronto.

It’s important to remember that while this is still a possibility, both sides were sticking to the standard script in such free agent productions.

In the immediate aftermath of the heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, expressed his sentiments, without elaboration.

“I’ve said I want to be here from the beginning,” Bichette said in the Blue Jays clubhouse.

At his season-ending press conference, Atkins — again without elaboration — said the Jays “will be in (Bichette’s) market.”

What does all that mean? As many of Bichette’s teammates have noted, the two-time all star has earned his right to cash in via free agency and it has expected he will following a superb 2025 season capped by that nearly legendary three-run homer in Game 7 of the Fall Classic.

Money projections vary wildly this time of year, but it’s expected that a seven- to eight-year deal for Bichette would land in the $200-million US range.