Blue Jays Projected to Lose Bo Bichette to Surprising New AL Rising Rival
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The Toronto Blue Jays have had an exciting offseason to this point, spending big money to upgrade both their starting rotation and bullpen.
Hundreds of millions dolled out to Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers has Toronto in a wonderful position arm wise, but it seems like things are not done from there. General manager Ross Atkins appears determined to land a big bat to join the lineup, and they have been linked to just about every big name out there.
From Kyle Tucker and his visit to Dunedin to the possibility of stealing away a star from a rival in Cody Bellinger or Alex Bregman, the possibilities are endless. Most fans, though, have someone they want even more than any new star.
The Blue Jays' faithful want to see a reunion with homegrown superstar shortstop Bo Bichette, and the chances have seemingly changed time and time again as the winter has gone on. In a recent prediction of the top remaining free agents, R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports pegged Toronto to lose Bichette to a surprising new threat in the Detroit Tigers.
Blue Jays Predicted to Lose Bichette to Tigers
"Bichette seems to be in a holding pattern until Tucker and Bregman figure out their plans," Anderson wrote. "If the Blue Jays do land Tucker, that would seem to take away the possibility of Bichette returning to Toronto. Meanwhile, the teams who lose out on Bregman will likely renew their pursuits of Bichette
For as much as losing Bichette would sting the fans in Toronto, it should be noted here that Anderson's projections also came with the Blue Jays ending up signing Kyle Tucker. Hypotehtically, this of course would decrease the urgency to keep Bichette and present a massive outfield upgrade.
If Bichette does wind up elsewhere though, fans would certainly prefer it to be both out of the division and ideally out of the American League. In fact, Detroit could prove to be one of the worst outcomes here for Toronto with regard to where their star slugger ends up.
Blue Jays Have to Hope Bichette Does Not Land with Tigers
After getting to the World Series and coming so close to winning it all in 2025, Toronto is looking to establish a stranglehold on the American League this season and prove they are the team to beat in the path to the Fall Classic.
Someone like Detroit -- a young and rising club that at times looked like the best team in the AL last year -- winding up with Bichette would be a tough pill to swallow. Bichette would instantly solve the Tigers' biggest offensive issue as a right-handed bat who specializes in getting on base and would make Detroit a tougher out next year.
Of course, if the Blue Jays choose to sign Tucker and let Bichette walk, they will have no control over where he ends up. It stands to reason though a team like the Tigers -- not to mention several others in the AL -- would be very interested and potentially make this a much tougher call.
Hopefully, decisions are made soon either way.
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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.