Bo Bichette was going to get paid either way, but the World Series certainly didn’t hurt his stock.
After hitting .348 in seven games despite missing six weeks of action and crushing a three-run home run against Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series, Bichette has officially departed the Toronto Blue Jays for now. With legitimate questions about his defensive position and the Blue Jays’ need for starting pitching, it’s no guarantee he comes back.
For as often as Bichette has professed his desire to remain in Toronto, could there be other teams out there that show more of a willingness to bid into the $200 million range than the Blue Jays are with their deep lineup beyond Bichette.
Just Baseball’s Ryan Finkelstein thinks the two-time All-Star is bound to wind up with an American League rival.
In an article published on Friday, Finkelstein projected an eight-year, $208 million contract for Bichette and had him landing with the Detroit Tigers, who had some of the worst infield production of any teams in the sport this year, especially playoff contenders.
“The Tigers currently feature the top prospect in all of baseball, shortstop Kevin McGonigle. There is every chance McGonigle is ready for Opening Day, which could make things a bit complicated if Bichette is unwilling to move off shortstop,” Finkelstein wrote. “Regardless, Bichette could be the missing piece that unlocks a contender that can win it all with Tarik Skubal in 2026.
“Since Bichette is 18 months younger than (San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy) Adames was when he hit free agency, it is fair to expect that he could receive at least one more year on his deal. An eight-year deal at $26 million per year brings us to $208 million.”
The Blue Jays’ projected tax payroll for next season sits at just under $242 million when accounting for arbitration salaries, per Spotrac. That’s the fifth-highest in the sport already, and it figures that Toronto will also pursue starting pitching, seeing as it’s likely unwise to count on rookie Trey Yesavage to be a No. 2 starter over the course of a full season.
But does that mean Toronto isn’t willing to go over $200 million to keep Bichette, or that the Tigers are? It’s certainly too early to know, and the fact that the Blue Jays have handed out bigger contracts than Detroit in recent years could give Toronto fans some confidence.
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