The Toronto Blue Jays were expected to make some major moves after their crushing World Series loss, with speculation that they could bring back Bo Bichette and pair him with top free agent Alex Bregman.
Now, there’s a good chance that the Blue Jays will get neither.
MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reported late on Saturday that Bregman agreed to terms with the Chicago Cubs on a five-year contract worth $175 million. The signing is expected to have a massive impact on the free agency market, which could lead to another team swooping in to land Bichette.
Hope Fading for Bo Bichette’s Return to Toronto
With Bregman now off the market, the Boston Red Sox are expected to zero in on their pursuit of Bichette. USA Today insider Bob Nightengale reported that the Red Sox have already shifted their attention to the longtime Blue Jays star.
“The Boston Red Sox will now turn their sights to Bo Bichette,” Nightengale wrote in a post on X.
That could pose a major challegne to Toronto’s offseason plans. Blue Jays insider Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reported that the Blue Jays had remained interested in bringing back Bichette on a new contract, though only on a shorter-term deal.
âThe Jays will likely stay in touch with Bichetteâs representatives as free agency remains fluid and plans evolve,â Bannon wrote. âPerhaps if Bichette elects to take a shorter deal with opt-outs, similar to the contracts signed by Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Cody Bellinger in recent offseasons, the Jays could make things work for a year.â
Blue Jays Expected to Make Bold Moves
The Blue Jays already made waves this offseason by landing highly sought-after Japanese free agent Kazuma Okamoto, and Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said this week that he would be aggressive in improving the team.
âYou have heard me say, probably too many times to count, that we will always be open to making our organization and team better, if there is a way to do that,â Atkins said. âAt this point, we were answering the question back in early December and even in November, that we felt good about our team. That remains the case.”
While Atkins didn’t get into specifics on who the Blue Jays would target, Nightengale did. In a Jan. 6 article, the USA Today insider noted that Toronto wanted to find a strong pairing for Okamoto and mentioned both Bichette and Bregman.
“The Blue Jays have spent $337 million this winter in free agency, signing four of the 15 free agents who have received contract of at least $30 million,” Nightengale noted. “Even after signing infielder Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract, with a formal press conference scheduled Tuesday, they still want to add another power hitter. Their preference is to make Okamoto a super utility player.”
Nightengale noted that the Blue Jays were interested in all of this year’s hottest free agency.
“The Blue Jays remain fully engaged in talks with infielders Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman, with outfielder Kyle Tucker also remaining a possibility,” Nightengale wrote.
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