The verdict from MLB insiders is clear: Blue Jays star free agent likely returning home. DD
The Toronto Blue Jays seem to be the heavy favorite to keep their superstar free agent.
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Blue Jays enter the offseason on the heels of coming within two outs of World Series glory, a painful reality that is going to be in their heads all winter long.
If there is any sort of positive to come out of the heartbreak though, it’s the highlighted potential of this organization and the fact that it seems sustainable moving forward should excite fans tremendously. When building next year’s roster, general manager Ross Atkins should have this at the top of mind.
That roster building can’t really start though until a decision is made on the biggest elephant in the room in Toronto’s superstar free agent Bo Bichette. The good news here though is that while it seemed incredibly unlikely prior to the season, most insiders tend to believe Bichette will be back with the team.
Most Project Bo Bichette Return to Blue Jays
Going into the 2025 season, Bichette was coming off the worst campaign of his career, which was filled with injuries and horrible production when he was healthy enough to be on the field. Most projected the young shortstop to be a candidate to be traded at the deadline, but then something changed.
Not only did Bichette have a huge year, but Toronto was a contender, and trading him became out of the question. When the shift in opinion came can’t exactly be known, but almost every pundit who gets asked seems to believe the 27-year-old is going to re-sign with the only professional organization he’s ever known.
“Bichette, who was expected to depart Toronto a year ago and whose name surfaced a year ago in trade talks now is expected to stay put to complete their goodwill tour,” baseball insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote alongside virtually every major prediction list forecasting a return.
Nightengale is hardly the only one, with dozens of both local and national media beginning to issue their predictions for Bichette to come back.
Where Will Bichette Play for Blue Jays If He Signs?
When Bichette returned to the Toronto lineup for the World Series, it was never going to be at shortstop. With the way Andrés Giménez was playing defensively and Bichette’s defensive shortcomings even when healthy, it just was not in the cards.
Moving forward, Giménez is likely going to be the shortstop, and if Bichette is fixed on playing the position, perhaps a reunion is not as likely. If he’s willing to make the transition in a more permanent fashion to second though or even third, a reunion becomes much more viable.
Based on everything he has said, Bichette loves playing for the Blue Jays and is going to be willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen provided Toronto’s ownership is willing to offer him a fair market deal.
The momentum rolling towards keeping the homegrown star is real, though, and it seems the industry prediction is for Bichette to stay right where he is. Now, it’s up to the Blue Jays to make it a reality and lock up one of their best players for the foreseeable future, and hopefully the remainder of his career.
