Blue Jays’ former core piece, Bo Bichette, could become one of MLB’s top free-agent hitters again

When Bo Bichette left the Toronto Blue Jays for the New York Mets last offseason, it felt like the closing of one of the most important chapters of this recent era of Blue Jays baseball. Now, less than a year later, Bichette may already be staring at another major career decision.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently identified Bichette as one of the trickiest calls in the upcoming free-agent class, noting that the former Blue Jays shortstop could join Japanese standout Teruaki Sato near the top of the market for available hitters if he chooses to opt out of the final two years of his Mets contract.

The Mets still owe Bichette $84 million over the next two seasons, an average annual salary of $42 million that ranks among the games highest contracts. If he opts out, he would receive a $5 million buyout and return to free agency heading into his age-29 season.

It's been a quick turnaround on the conversation surrounding whether Bo has earned that mega deal. Early in his first season in Queens, Bichette’s departure from Toronto looked like it was going sideways. His slow start at the plate, combined with the defensive questions that followed him from shortstop to third base, made it fair to wonder whether the Blue Jays had avoided a risky long-term commitment.

But in the second half has, he's changed the narrative. Bichette enters this weekend with his stats looking much more respectable. He's slashed .265/.317/.399, with a .716 OPS, 16 home runs, 73 RBI, 71 runs scored and two stolen bases over 144 games. Those full-season numbers are still below his standards, but compared to how his first couple of months went, Bichette will take it.

Since the All-Star break, Bichette is hitting .286 with a .794 OPS. His August was even stronger, as he went 29-for-100 with four home runs, seven doubles, a triple, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored over 26 games. For a hitter with his track record, a strong finish to this season could make him an attractive commodity in a thinner free-agent class.

Bo Bichette had a lot of great moments with the Blue Jays to begin his career

Bichette was part of the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. era of Blue Jays' baseball. He was one of the faces of the rebuild, and a central figure in multiple playoff pushes. He eventually became the author of one of the biggest swings in franchise history with his Game 7 home run in the 2025 World Series. He would have been elevated to a living legend had Toronto hung on to win that series over the Dodgers.

That's all in the past now, though, and Bichette, the Blue Jays, and the Mets are all looking ahead. If Bichette opts out and becomes one of the most appealing bats available, it would add another strange twist to his career. Although, Toronto may still be comfortable with the decision not to match the Mets’ contract, but when Bo returned to Toronto with the Mets in July, there was a lot of emotion flowing from Bo and reciprocated by the fans. This isn't a feelings based business, but sometimes, following your heart makes the most sense.

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