The Blue Jays began their season facing the Yankees in spring training in Dunedin, Fla., and ended it in Toronto with a crushing 11-inning loss in Game 7 of the World Series. Now, in less than 100 days, we’ll be in the 2026 season, and in the course of these days, the Blue Jays will turn their attention to their top offseason priority: re-signing Bo Bichette. Naturally, the competition for Bichette is going to be tough. The Jays will need to be aggressive and encourage him to make a decision quickly. That’s because the longer this drags on, the more other teams will ramp up their pursuit.

The ultimatum is pretty simple if the Blue Jays want Bichette back. He has shown he’s open to returning. But if they expect him to take less than what other teams are willing to offer—a “hometown discount”—they’ll likely lose him.

Outside of free-agent slugger Kyle Tucker, Bichette is set to land the biggest contract of the offseason. The Blue Jays will probably need to offer something around 10 years and $250 million to keep Bo Bichette.

If that means guaranteeing him a few more years at shortstop, they’ll have to do it. And if he’s open to moving to second base right away, that’s even better.

Right now, nine teams are in the mix for Bo Bichette: the Red Sox, Tigers, Royals, Mariners, Phillies, Mets, Braves, Dodgers, and Giants. All of them are keeping a close eye on his free-agency market and exploring what it might take to land him.

Bichette has been a major part of the Blue Jays’ core ever since his debut on July 29, 2019, when he arrived as the 21-year-old shortstop of the future. Since then, he’s put together a .294/.337/.469 slash line of 111 home runs, 438 runs, and 437 RBI.

He led the American League in hits in both 2021 and 2022, and was on track to do it again in 2025 before a knee injury in early September against the Yankees sidelined him.

If the Blue Jays eventually can’t bring Bichette back, their next priority should be Kyle Tucker. Although he could cost around $400 million, if they manage to land him, they can easily shift Addison Barger to third base and slide Ernie Clement over to second.

The Jays’ top priority is, as it should be, keeping Bichette. But if he ends up leaving, there are plenty of solid options available to replace him.

The Blue Jays could lose Bo Bichette to the Detroit Tigers

The Toronto Blue Jays ended their season in heartbreaking fashion. They fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a seven-game World Series. And now, a tough offseason could follow.

Franchise cornerstone Bo Bichette is officially a free agent. Now, there’s a real chance he could leave. Jim Bowden of The Athletic projects Bo Bichette to land a $189 million deal this winter. On the other hand, Sports Illustrated’s Nick Selbe and Will Laws predicted that he could sign with the Detroit Tigers.

After a rough 2024 season derailed by injuries that kept him limited to 81 games, Bo Bichette bounced back and rebuilt his value. He’s spent his entire big-league career at shortstop, but with years of defensive struggles at the position, a switch to second base might benefit him long-term.

His contact-first approach at the plate should help him age well. And hitting free agency before turning 30 puts him in a great position to cash in.

If the Tigers are serious about making one last push with Tarik Skubal still on the roster, Bichette would be an ideal fit—if they can pull him away from Toronto. The Blue Jays remain the frontrunners for now. However, in free agency, money has a way of changing everything. Detroit shouldn’t be counted out in the race for Bichette.