The longtime Toronto Blue Jays star reportedly wants more money than expected.
According to a new report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Bo Bichette's apparent desires in free agency are higher than he's been anticipated to get on the open market.
Heyman had to this to say about the longtime Toronto Blue Jays infielder on Thursday:
As an ultra young free agent at 27, Bichette’s ask is thought around $300 million, which at first blush may sound high considering that’s the ballpark of even more accomplished shortstops Corey Seager, Trea Turner and Francisco Lindor, but maybe not when you consider how deals for Juan Soto and Bichette’s teammate/great friend Vlad Guerrero Jr. moved the market.
No, $300 million does seem high
MLBTradeRumors rated Bichette as the No. 2 free agent on the board heading into the offseason, and they predicted him to get an eight-year, $208 million deal.
Kiley McDaniel of ESPN predicted him to get a five-year and $150 million back in December. Neither of those projects are anywhere near $300 million.
It also seems high considering that Bichette is a poorly-rated shortstop who will have to move positions in all likelihood.
Is this just a negotiating ploy?
It could be! If Bichette comes out and says he wants $300 million, but then settles for $250 (as an example), then he comes off pretty good. On one hand, he will have gotten more money than the projections, and he will look like a team player for taking less.
If he comes out and says he wants $250 million, and is forced to settle for $200 million or so, he risks getting lower than the projections.
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Could he be pressuring the Jays?
Sure he could be. He's seen Toronto shell out $210 million to Dylan Cease and $60 million to Kazuma Okamoto, so why shouldn't he feel like he deserves the biggest payday of them all? After all, he's the incumbent player who was drafted and developed by the organization. Homegrown players count for something, and it would be understandable if he wanted to receive significantly more than outside players.
The main question at play
The real question for Bichette still comes down to this: Do the Blue Jays actually want him back? They had the money and the positional opening at the outset of the offseason, but yet nothing has happened. Do the Blue Jays value Kyle Tucker more than him? Do they think an infield of Okamoto and Ernie Clement is a better way to go (with Andres Gimenez and Guerrero)? There's still five weeks before spring training, but it's time to start getting some answers.
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