Phillies Seen as Best Match for Blue Jays' Free Agent Slugger

Are the Philadelphia Phillies the best match for the star slugger from the Toronto Blue Jays?

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It has been a busy offseason for the Toronto Blue Jays, and with just a couple of the top free agents left, things are starting to heat up once again. 

Coming into the winter, the Blue Jays were a team that wasted little time going after players to improve the team. The team signed Dylan Cease, who could be viewed as the best pitcher on the market, to a massive contract that will help solve a need at the top of the rotation. 

While that move was the big splash for the franchise, they also made a couple of other nice additions with Tyler Rogers for the bullpen and Cody Ponce for perhaps a bit of a swingman role. Furthermore, they added Kazuma Okamoto to the lineup to provide some additional infield depth. 

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The signing of Okamoto is an interesting one, as it makes the infield a little bit more crowded. With star shortstop Bo Bichette still a free agent, his future with the team feels uncertain. 

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Philadelphia Phillies being the best match for the Blue Jays slugger. 

Bichette Does Make Sense for Phillies

John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Due to how aggressive Toronto has been this winter and some of the moves that they have made, including the signing of Okamoto, it could be an indication that Bichette isn’t going to be coming back. While the star slugger has been a great player and a homegrown talent, he is likely heading toward a position change in the near future, and that impacts his value. 

For the Phillies, they have long desired adding some help offensively from the right side of the plate for Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Even though they have Alec Bohm at third base, they could elect to trade him and make room for Bichette. 

With the team recently hiring Don Mattingly, with whom Bichette has had a great relationship from his time with the Blue Jays, that could also play a minor part in his decision-making. 

For the Blue Jays, if they do lose Bichette, they need to find a way to replace that offensive production. He had a fantastic campaign in 2025, and while Okamoto has a high upside, he is unproven in the majors.

Pursuing either Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger would be the best course of action to help improve their lineup and also help them improve defensively in the outfield. 

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