Blue Jays Two Hated Rivals Seemingly Closing In On Free Agent Star Bo Bichette

The Toronto Blue Jays could lose their star to a divisional opponent.

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The Toronto Blue Jays entered the offseason looking to add a superstar on the offensive side of the ball, and while nice moves have been made, they have not yet accomplished that initial goal.

General manager Ross Atkins has rebuilt the pitching staff by spending hundreds of millions between the starting rotation and bullpen, and he also signed Kazuma Okamoto to fill a utility hole as well as giving a high ceiling bat to the lineup.

For fans to be fully satisfied with what's already been a brilliant offseason though, one of the three remaining big bats will have to come to the Blue Jays. Kyle Tucker has been the most linked throughout the winter, but of course a reunion with Bo Bichette can't be counted out either.

With the way the last several days have played out though, not only is bringing back Bichette less likely, but it's becoming increasingly likely that he could end up with one of Toronto's most hated division rival New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.

Yankees or Red Sox Could Steal Bichette Away from Blue Jays

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It has been a particularly slow-moving offseason for the top dogs on the market in terms of offensive players, but the first major domino fell this past Saturday when the Chicago Cubs took Alex Bregman from the Red Sox.

While Toronto was also linked to Bregman, ultimately it became very unlikely once Okamoto was brought in, and the Blue Jays will gladly take a division rival getting weakened in exchange for losing on Bregman. Now however, with Boston desperate to land an infielder, they could turn their focus to Bichette.

As for New York, reports over the weekend indicated they were just about ready to move on from a reunion with Cody Bellinger after reaching an impasse in negotiations. While Bellinger could be a backup plan for Toronto, the Yankees seemingly are instantly a contender for Bichette as well.

Which team would be a worse result to wind up with the Blue Jays' homegrown star?

Yankees Ultimately Would Be Worst Case Scenario for Bichette

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Bichette has been linked to some National League teams as well, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, both of whom would wind up being much better results than him staying in the division to try to beat Toronto.

Of course, the Red Sox would be far from ideal, however based on the way the offseason has gone, they feel like less of a threat to the Blue Jays than New York does. If Toronto could not only keep Bichette away from the Bronx while also assuming they lose Bellinger, the power immediately shifts in the division to make the Blue Jays the heavy favorite.

A reinforcement like Bichette -- especially for a Yankees team which needs to shake some things up on offense -- could be exactly what they need to get back on track.

If Toronto does not keep him then they won't have much say, but they will have to hope and pray their longtime shortstop does not wind up back in the AL East.