AL West Contender Seen as Dark-Horse Candidate for Blue Jays' Star Bo Bichette

Could a dark-horse team sign Bo Bichette from the Toronto Blue Jays this winter?

Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Bo Bichette (11) throws to first for an out against Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman (25) in the eighth inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays have had a hectic and successful offseason so far, but there is still some work to be done and a looming question to answer. 

Coming into the winter, the Blue Jays had a desire to improve so they could get over the hump in 2026, in what very well could be a rematch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

So far, Toronto has not been shy about spending money, and that is a good thing to see from the franchise. What is also great is that free agents seemingly want to come play for the Blue Jays. 

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In 2025, the signing of Vladimir Guerrero to a long-term deal and the franchise proving that they can be a contender has suddenly made the Blue Jays the place to play. While they have been aggressive in recent years, now they are starting to see some success with that aggressiveness.

However, while it has been a good winter so far, they still have one of their top players from 2025 as a free agent, and his future with the franchise seems uncertain at best. 

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about a potential dark-horse candidate for the Blue Jays’ star Bo Bichette being the Seattle Mariners. 

Bichette Makes Sense for Mariners

Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Currently speaking, Seattle does have a desire to improve their offense, and two of the current holes on the team are at second base and third base. There appears to be a growing consensus that Bichette isn’t going to be a shortstop long term, and if that’s the case, moving him now to another infield spot makes sense. 

So far this winter, the Mariners have signed first baseman Josh Naylor to a sizable contract. However, more help is needed for the offense, especially if they are going to beat Toronto in a potential playoff matchup. 

Bichette would fill a lot of needs for the organization, but it would be costly for them. However, if spending big on Naylor is any indication, the Mariners might be going for it as well. 

For the Blue Jays, it’s hard to tell what the plan for Bichette going forward is. Very easily, the signing of Kazuma Okamoto could have been the writing on the wall that the team is going to move on. They do still appear to be interested, but perhaps one of the top outfield stars would be more appealing. 

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