Blue Jays May Target Rival Slugger If Bo Bichette Plans Fall Through
In this story:
The Toronto Blue Jays entered the offseason ready to spend big and land the pieces of what they hope is their next championship team after getting so close to glory in 2025.
As the offseason got started, Toronto proved this by going out and dropping huge amounts of money to rebuild their pitching staff by signing Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers to lucrative deals. Now though, it's time for general manager Ross Atkins to turn his focus to the lineup.
The Blue Jays have been linked over and over again to a potential reunion with Bo Bichette as well as the possibility of bringing in Kyle Tucker or even somehow doing both. Guys like Cody Bellinger in the next tier have been mentioned as well, but what if the big addition is someone they have not been linked to much at all?
Despite being one of the top free agents available, Boston Red Sox star third baseman Alex Bregman has not been connected heavily to Toronto. According to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic (subscription required) though, the team sees him as a very nice backup plan.
Blue Jays Reportedly See Alex Bregman as Bichette Backup Plan
"Bregman, two league sources said, could be a potential back-up plan for Toronto if the Jays fail to sign Tucker or Bichette," Bannon wrote. "If the Jays miss on Bichette, they aren’t required to add another infielder...But signing Bregman would add another lineup threat and clubhouse leader on a potentially shorter deal than Tucker or Bichette."
For someone who has not garnered as much of the attention as the other free agents Toronto has been linked to, Bregman could prove to end up being the best fit out of all of them. Similarly to Bichette, he can play third or move to second, and his offensive ceiling might profile out even better.
Bregman is, of course, almost half a decade older, but Atkins could use this to his benefit rather than locking the organization into a very lengthy Bichette deal.
Signing Bregman May Be Better Result Than Bichette for Blue Jays
Nobody north of the border is going to argue that Bregman is a better hitter than Bichette, but he is certainly a better fielder and given Bichette's injury history, may be more reliable. While a Bichette contract would take at least a six or seven-year commitment, Bregman will be half that.
The 2024 Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star answered any questions about declining offensive numbers in 2025 with a season in which he slashed .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI in just 114 games.
Bregman is as reliable as they come as it relates to offensive production, while Bichette obviously had the disaster 2024 season that still may leave a sour taste in the mouths of some.
Most importantly though, getting Bregman at four or five years, and potentially less with opt outs, gives Atkins and Toronto the room to spend big elsewhere for years to come, something that may not be the case if they keep Bichette.
Some real decisions have to be made here, but there is no question that Bregman would be a wonderful second choice if Bichette winds up in a different uniform.
Recommended Articles
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.