The Bichette era is officially over the Jays.
Update: According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the deal is three years for $126 million. It contains no deferrals and has opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.
Original: After weeks of speculation, the Toronto Blue Jays have officially lost longtime infielder Bo Bichette in free agency. He is signing a three-year contract with the New York Mets, per a report from Will Sammon of The Athletic. As of this report, there is no indication of the money.
Regardless of what the money is, this deal is a surprise. The Philadelphia Phillies were reportedly interested in Bichette and were expected to be the favorite. Perhaps the Mets pivoted in the wake of losing out on Kyle Tucker on Thursday night, as he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
About Bichette
Drafted in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft from the Florida high school ranks, Bichette has spent his entire career in the Blue Jays organization. A seven-year major league veteran, he helped Toronto get to the playoffs in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2025, even returning from a serious leg injury to appear in the 2025 World Series.
He is a two-time All-Star who is a career .294 hitter. He led the American League in hits in both 2021 and 2022 and he hit .311 this past season with 18 homers and 94 RBIs.
What this loss means for the Jays
In the immediate, it means the lineup is worse today than it was at the end of 2025. Bichette was a centerpiece of the lineup and helped to make it one of the most dynamic in all of baseball. Now there will be more pressure on newcomer Kazuma Okamoto to make an impact in his first season in the big leagues - and on former big signing Anthony Santander to rebound from a dreadful 2025.
Beyond the field, it's a major loss for a fanbase that had grown attached to Bichette. He will be missed by many. It's also a loss for the Toronto clubhouse, as Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. came up together and have a very close relationship.
What's next for Toronto?
Probably not much. The Blue Jays have already excelled in free agency by signing Okamoto, Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers, so the heavy lifting is likely done. Despite that great work, the Jays still do have questions in the wake of losing out on Tucker and Bichette, and we addressed them here.
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