Could the Blue Jays lose Bo Bichette to this upstart American League contender?

While it's only the end of May, there's no shortage of rumor buzz around next year's free agent class. Perhaps the biggest name in that impending free agent class is Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette.

We got some evidence of that earlier this week when Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported (subscription required) that the Tigers, Dodgers, and Yankees were interested in going after BIchette in free agency. Bowden also added that Bichette may need to move to third base to play for one of these interested squads.

Bowden expects Bichette to land a contract similar to what the Tigers offered Alex Bregman this past offseason, which was around six years, $171 million. Although Toronto showed their willingness to spend last season, it would likely be difficult for Bichette to return to Toronto with a contract that high.

This will be a crucial offseason for the Blue Jays, as they'll need to adress at least two spots in their starting rotation along with filling in some spots on the margins in the infield.

That could leave the Blue Jays on the outside looking in of the Bichette sweepstakes, especially if teams like the Yankees and Dodgers get involved, like Bowden surmised.

The Blue Jays had some interest in big-name free agents last offseason like Teoscar Hernandez and Pete Alonso, but they both ended up going elsewhere because Toronto couldn't bid enough. We'll see if history repeats itself with Bichette.

Could Bo Bichette sign with the Tigers in the offseason?

Bichette entered the year needing to bounce back after a rough 2024 season, and he's done just that. So far this season, Bichette's hitting .279 through 51 games with four home runs and 25 RBI out of the leadoff spot, and is in the 96th percentile in expected batting average.

He is back to hitting the ball hard (50% hard-hit rate; 84th percentile), which has translated to an average exit velocity of 91.1 miles per hour. That, coupled with his high expected batting average percentile, shows that there's still plenty of production left in his bat.

Bichette's already tied his home run total from last year, and is nine hits shy of eclipsing his hit total from last year. That'll help boost his free agent earnings (and his trade value, if the Blue Jays choose to go down that route).

The Blue Jays may have already tipped their hand about their future when they inked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a contract extension instead of Bichette, which means that there could be a chance they could trade Bichette at the deadline. While he's only a rental, the Blue Jays could still get a big return from him.

The Blue Jays shouldn't do that if they're in the postseason race, however. Bichette is a valuable asset to this organization, and is a key cog in their lineup.

While losing Bichette for nothing in free agency is a possibility, it's a gamble the Blue Jays need to take.