Blue Jays continue to be validated as Bo Bichette has likely $40M decision to make
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Blue Jays continue to be validated as Bo Bichette has likely $40M decision to make originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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When the Toronto Blue Jays let Bo Bichette walk, it drew criticism. Bichette has proven throughout much of his career that he's one of the best offensive players in baseball as an infielder, leading the American League in hits twice in Toronto.
He was also a fan favorite for the organization, something that typically helps a guy stay around.
With the Blue Jays willing to spend a lot of money in recent years, not paying a homegrown talent like that seemed like a smart move at the time. It was tough to tell whether it was the right or wrong decision, and we likely won't know until we see how long his career lasts, but the early signs suggest the Blue Jays made the right call.
Much of that is because he ended up taking a three-year, $120-plus million contract.
If the Blue Jays gave him that deal, they'd be stuck with what many consider one of the worst contracts in baseball.
According to the latest, while there are questions about what Bichette is going to do with his contract, there is an expectation that he's going to opt into it, which should only validate the Blue Jays' reasoning for moving on from him.
“Despite the argument above, it makes little financial sense for Bichette to decline the final two years on his contract. His deal’s $42 million average annual value is tied for sixth-highest in Major League history, behind only Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Juan Soto, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. (It’s worth noting that the Mets under Steve Cohen have given out four of those six contracts. The Dodgers have inked the other two.)
“Bichette did not play like a $42 million player in 2026, and it’s debatable if he was at that level even before signing his deal; at the time, Bichette’s career .806 OPS ranked 39th among active Major League players. In 2026, Bichette’s career OPS fell to .788, which now ranks 53rd among active players. Even in a thin free-agent market for hitters, it would be next to impossible for Bichette to come anywhere close to a $42 million AAV with a new team,” Anthony DiComo wrote.
For Bichette to return to Toronto then, it likely would have required a similar deal.
It remains uncertain what those conversations sounded like, though reports indicated the Philadelphia Phillies had a big-time offer out there for him.
However, Toronto never really seemed like a legitimate suitor to bring him back, and whether they saw things the Mets and Phillies didn't is one thing, but somebody did something right.
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