Red Sox-Bo Bichette Updates Drop After Blue Jays' $60M Signing

What did today's news signify?

Apr 29, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (11) collides with Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell (28) after turning a double play at second base and at first base against first baseman Triston Casas (not pictured) to end the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays' pockets are $60 million lighter on Saturday, and that carries obvious implications for the Boston Red Sox.

By signing third baseman Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year deal, the Blue Jays probably (but not definitely) took themselves out of the running for Red Sox free agent Alex Bregman. But Bregman wasn't the only free agent both teams were linked to from an early point in the offseason.

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The Red Sox held a zoom meeting with longtime Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette sometime before the winter meetings, and in recent days, that link has been reinforced. It seems Bichette is something of a backup plan to Bregman, but the Blue Jays signing another infielder could absolutely affect the odds.

What are Red Sox's chances of landing Bichette?

In the wake of the Okamoto signing, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that the Red Sox remained engaged with Bregman, but had Bichette in mind as an alternative. Cotillo emphasized, however, that the Blue Jays were still very much a threat for Bichette.

"The Red Sox remain engaged with Bregman and his agents at Boras Corporation, sources said Saturday, but are also assessing potential alternatives as they have been all winter," Cotillo wrote. "One is longtime Blue Jay Bo Bichette, whose path back to Toronto isn’t blocked by the Okamoto move."

Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Red Sox were still in the hunt for Bichette, but that a new team had recently joined the party: the Philadelphia Phillies, who would presumably have to make some sort of trade to open up an infield spot for Bichette.

"The Phillies are among a number of big-market teams to have interest in Bo Bichette, an ultra young (27) free agent," Heyman wrote. "(New York Yankees), (Chicago) Cubs, (Los Angeles) Dodgers, Red Sox and incumbent Jays, too."

It seems that we can count the Red Sox among a group of teams that are waiting for Bichette's market to dissipate, hoping for some sort of steal. Whether they'll get that steal remains to be seen, but their odds, however big or small, likely went up on Saturday.

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