Two of baseball’s biggest free agents, Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette, shook up the free-agent market by signing massive deals late last week.

Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million deal with the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night, giving him the largest per-year salary in Major League Baseball history.

Bichette, the former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop, signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the New York Mets on Friday.

The Blue Jays were heavily rumoured to be in on both players, but came away empty-handed as they try to build off a World Series appearance in 2025.

ESPN’s Buster Olney joined TSN’s First Up and said that, despite the long relationship between the Blue Jays and Bichette, both sides were ready for a fresh start.

“I think the horses went out the barn door,” Olney said on the possibility of the Jays re-signing Bichette after missing out on Tucker. “And in fact, I’ve heard that folks who attended Bo Bichette’s wedding walked away from that saying, ‘Yeah, his time with the Jays is over.’ It just felt like both sides were ready to move on.”

Bichette spent seven years in Toronto and hit .294 with 111 home runs and 437 runs batted in over 748 games. He is a two-time All-Star and has twice led the American League in hits.

The Jays spent most of the off-season in pursuit of Tucker in order to add another premier bat to an already strong lineup. Toronto was reportedly the favourite to sign Tucker in early January as the only team to have tabled a long-term contract to the four-time All-Star.

However, the reported 10-year contract was beaten out by the Mets and Dodgers, who offered short-term deals at much higher AAVs.

“As December turned to January, I think in the Kyle Tucker camp, there was a belief that, yeah, in the end, Kyle’s going to wind up with the Blue Jays,” Olney said. “The Blue Jays were the one team that was out there with a big, long-term contract. They had offered 10 years, $350 million, something like that.

“Then the Mets thought they were going to get Kyle Tucker. They were in the $55 million-a-year range. Then, guess who swoops in at the last second? The Dodgers made Kyle Tucker an offer that would make him the highest-paid player, based on average annual salary, in the history of baseball.”

After missing on the two marquee free agents, the Blue Jays will need to decide on how they want to attack the rest of the off-season.

The club already added Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto on a four-year, $60 million deal earlier to shore up their infield depth, but could be looking to add another impact bat before the 2026 campaign begins.

Outfielder Cody Bellinger could become the next possible target for the Jays. After spending 2025 with the New York Yankees, Bellinger remains a free agent after posting 29 home runs and 98 RBI in the Bronx last season.

“The best available position player now is Cody Bellinger. The Jays had that money available for Kyle Tucker. Are they going to pivot to him?” said Olney. “The Yankees have an offer out there, five years, $160 million, and they’re standing on it. [Bellinger’s agent] Scott Boras is out talking with other teams, seeing if there’s a way to surpass the Yankee offer.

“Will the Blue Jays say they’re willing to spend on Cody Bellinger, who clearly would improve their depth and their versatility with what they’re doing? If you’re the Blue Jays, if you sign Cody Bellinger, not only do you add to your depth significantly, but you also really hurt the Yankees. I would seriously talk about. Because in this wildly competitive American League East, you’re looking for difference makers.”

While Olney says the Jays could be a destination for Bellinger, the 2019 National League MVP, he also said he would not be surprised if Toronto heads into Spring Training with the roster they have now.

Last season, the Blue Jays won the AL East with a 94-68 record and got back to the Fall Classic for the first time since winning in 1993, but were beaten by the Dodgers in seven games.