The Toronto Blue Jays have an important decision to make as the winter meetings officially begin.
The Blue Jays have already made one of the biggest acquisitions of the offseason, signing pitcher Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract. Toronto is no stranger to handing out large contracts, as the team extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million contract last April.
The Blue Jays are expected to pursue top free agents like Kyle Tucker, but Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly urged the team to prioritize bringing back Bo Bichette, with the star projected to sign a $210 million contract.
“With the signing of Cease and Shane Bieber deciding not to opt out, the starting rotation in Toronto is likely set, perhaps even to the point where the defending AL champions could consider trading from their surplus of starters,” Kelly wrote Friday. “Might the Blue Jays be better off if they signed a star closer and utilized Jeff Hoffman as their top setup man in 2026? Yes. But their biggest need right now is another bat.
“The obvious answer would be to bring back shortstop Bo Bichette, who B/R projected to sign a seven-year, $210 million contract. If not Bichette, the Blue Jays could pivot to Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger or another free agent and have Andrés Giménez play shortstop on a full-time basis in 2026.”
Bichette is a two-time All-Star who slashed .311/.357/.483 this season with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs. The 27-year-old has spent all seven seasons of his career in Toronto, but will test free agency for the first time this offseason.
Bichette will be one of the most sought-after players in free agency, and with the Blue Jays in need of another big bat, bringing back the star shortstop makes sense.
More MLB: Blue Jays Predicted To Trade Gold Glove Winner For Mets Veteran
