The Toronto Blue Jays got predictable roster news on Tuesday afternoon, as infielder Bo Bichette was one of nine players around baseball to reject the one-year qualifying offer.

This means that Bichette is now an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign with any team in baseball.

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While the Blue Jays are still expected to be strong contenders for his services, they will receive a compensatory draft pick if he signs somewhere else.

The Blue Jays need to figure out their biggest priorities, and their budget. Let’s dig a little deeper.

1) The Blue Jays have given contracts of $500 million (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), $92.5 million (Anthony Santander), and $33 million (Jeff Hoffman) out over the last calendar year. They also absorbed nearly $100 million after a trade for Andres Gimenez last offseason.

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When you add those deals to the already big deals for Kevin Gausman and George Springer, the Jays have spent a ton of money over the last five years.

2) However, Gausman and Springer both come off the books after the 2026 season. Chris Bassitt’s deal just came off, so Toronto has some money to spend this offseason, and they have more money freed up after 2026. Furthermore, they just brought in a large sum of playoff revenue, giving them even more freedom financially.

3) The Jays have been linked to Bichette, as well as standout outfielder Kyle Tucker. Can they afford both? Do they want to afford both? Or do they have to make a choice as to which one is the priority?

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Bichette is expected to get anywhere between $175 and $250 million. Tucker is expected to get anywhere between $350 and $500 million.

Bichette is a homegrown player, the kind you strive to develop within your system. He’s also only 27 years old, meaning he should have several more good offensive seasons in front of him. A two-time All-Star, he’s led the American League in hits twice in his career. He hit .311 this past season with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs.

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And while there are questions about his defensive ability at shortstop, the Jays have easy answers on that front. Gimenez can play whatever position Bichette doesn’t. If they want to move Bichette to second, Gimenez is a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop that is already on the roster.

Free agency can drag on, but the baseball world will reconvene at the winter meetings from Dec. 7-10. Big deals could begin to materialize there.

SANTANDER IS FASCINATING: Returning from injury, the slugger is the most fascinating player already on the roster. CLICK HERE:

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JOE CARTER STOPS BY MLB NETWORK: The hero of the 1993 World Series sat down on Tuesday to reflect on the current crop of Jays players. CLICK HERE:

TUCKER THE BEST MOVE? Jeff Passan of ESPN thinks that signing Tucker is the best move that the Blue Jays can make this offseason. Here’s why. CLICK HERE:

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