New team eyes Bo Bichette after Blue Jays settle arbitration with key infielder

At the onset of the offseason, it felt like a foregone conclusion that Bo Bichette and the Toronto Blue Jays would reunite on a long-term deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Then, the team went out and signed Dylan Cease to the second-largest contract in franchise history. They followed that up with a three-year deal for Cody Ponce, and then a three-year deal with Tyler Rogers. And, most recently, a four-year, $60 million pact with Kazuma Okamoto.

That quartet of contracts total more than $330 million, a bodacious spending spree in conjunction with the $500 million extension Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed early last year. That's not to suggest that Blue Jays are tapped, but can their wallets really stretch far enough to accommodate another nine-figure deal for Bichette?

The answer to that question remains up in the air, hence why the star shortstop continues to guage the interest of other teams in free agency. With Toronto's roster mostly set after the arbitration deadline, are the Jays ready to wave goodbye to Bichette?

Blue Jays agree to one-year deal with Ernie Clement as Bo Bichette discusses deal with Phillies

The good news is that the Blue Jays agreed to avoid arbitration with postseason hero Ernie Clement, agreeing to a $4.6 million contract for the 2026. That figure represents a $2.7 million raise over his salary last season and locks him into a key role in John Schneider's lineup.

The bad news is that Bichette spent the day talking to the Philadelphia Phillies, who have reportedly become the resounding favorites to sign the two-time All-Star. It's hard to know how exactly the Phillies — who already have more than $267 million committed to their roster — plan to fold Bichette's deal into the mix, though he'd give them one expensive middle infield alongside Trea Turner (11-year, $300 million contract).

Despite his October heroics that included setting the all-time hits record in a single postseason, Clement can't come close to replicating Bichette's impact on his own. Still, after posting a 3.2 fWAR and 98 wRC+ in 2025, he'll get the first crack at replacing the longtime Blue Jays at second base, assuming Andrés Giménez slides over to shortstop.

Plus, with Okamoto factoring into the infield mix somehow (likely at third base), there should be enough lineup insulation to support Guerrero Jr. as the lone star. Continued excellence from George Springer and Alejandro Kirk, as well as a bounce-back season from Anthony Santander, would also go a long way in that effort.

Until he puts pen to paper, there's nothing guaranteeing that Bichette will leave Toronto — there's always a chance they swoop in at the last minute and re-sign their second-round pick from 2016. Given the way things are going, though, other pursuits seem to have taken priority... like the Blue Jays' push for Kyle Tucker.