If the Toronto Blue Jays can find a way to bring a big bat back to town this offseason, it would be viewed as an absolute win.
Toronto last week agreed to a mammoth $210 million deal with veteran starting pitcher Dylan Cease, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Once that move becomes official, the Blue Jays arguably will be set in the starting rotation ahead of the 2026 season. A rotation featuring Cease along with Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, José BerrÃos, and Trey Yesavage will be hard to compete against.
Toronto just needs to bolster its offense now. Arguably, the easiest way to do so would be to retain All-Star infielder Bo Bichette. He’s 27 years old, has had success in Toronto, and has been clear about his interest in sticking around. A new deal makes almost too much sense.
Passan shared a brief update on Bichette’s market on Sunday and noted that a return to Toronto remains the “most obvious outcome” and that the infielder “could approach” $200 million in free agency.
“Bo Bichette: One could argue that behind (Kyle Tucker) and (Kyle Schwarber), Bichette is the best bat available,” Passan wrote on Threads. “And considering the paucity of everyday infielders available on the free agent and trade markets, his game stands out even more. Going back to Toronto is the most obvious outcome, but in the end, Bichette’s willingness to move off shortstop will buy him significantly more interested teams and a deal that, because of his age (27), could approach $200 million.”
If Bichette ends up landing a deal in that range this offseason, Toronto absolutely should retain him. The Blue Jays have already shown a willingness to open up the checkbook this offseason. Bichette has been a significant piece for the team since 2019. The team proved they can make a deep run with this core in place. Toronto should be doing everything possible behind the scenes to keep it together moving forward.
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