Blue Jays Star Behind Only Kyle Tucker As 'Easy No. 2 in This Free-Agent Class'
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There were a lot of questions facing the Toronto Blue Jays in regard to their future heading into the 2025 MLB regular season.
Manager John Schneider was thought to be on the hot seat by some analysts, under pressure to lead the team to the playoffs. The front office duo of president of baseball operations Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins signed extensions in 2021 that took them through the 2026 campaign, so the pressure was on to start seeing results.
Easily the biggest storyline was the futures of impending free agents, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Bo Bichette.
2025 was the last year both homegrown stars were going to be under team control and questions run rampant about whether the Blue Jays would be able to keep them around long-term.
It was a hot topic throughout spring training when Guerrero put a soft deadline on getting a deal done.
Evidently, that was a deadline just for him to start focusing on the season ahead, because his representatives and the team continued working diligently on contract details that resulted in a historic 14-year, $500 million contract extension on April 14, which is the largest in franchise history.
Focus turned solely to Bichette, who was coming off an abysmal 2024 campaign that was mired by injuries and ineffective play when he was able to stay on the field. He wanted to make the most of his opportunity this year to maximize his earnings and that is exactly what he has done.
How much will Bo Bichette sign for in free agency?
He has his numbers right back in line with what he was doing earlier in his career, from 2021-2023, when he was one of the most consistent offensive players in the game. The bounceback has been real, setting him up for a massive pay day this offseason in free agency.
“He’s the easy No. 2 in this free-agent class behind Kyle Tucker,” wrote Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required) when focusing on free agent stock for each franchise.
He will be only 28 years old when Opening Day in 2026 rolls around, entering the prime of his career. Jumping into the top 10 for shortstops in AAV should be the goal, at the minimum, for Bichette this offseason.
Given his consistency, he can likely aim higher, such as the seven-year, $182 million deal Willy Adames signed with the San Francisco Giants. He is the sixth-highest paid shortstop in AAV at $26 million.
Bichette is a year younger than Adames and doesn’t have the same questions surrounding him about long-term sustainability as a defensive player at shortstop and a much more consistent offensive approach at the plate.
All in all, Toronto is going to have to be ready to back up the Brinks truck if they want to keep their two-time All-Star.
