The calendar has flipped to 2026, and Bo Bichette is still a free agent. Talking heads, teams, and the man himself have yet to agree on what he’s worth — so what might a fair contract actually look like?
Bichette is fresh off a strong platform year at the plate, having posted a .311/.357/.483 slash line with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 44 doubles in 139 games played. Defensively, he recorded an abysmal -13 outs above average at shortstop while seeing his sprint speed drop to just the 21st percentile.
He also missed the final three weeks of the regular season and the first two rounds of the Toronto Blue Jays’ playoff run with a knee injury suffered in a collision at home plate in early September. It was the second consecutive year he missed time due to a lower-body injury.
Offseason updates, per @JonHeyman:
• Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs have checked in on Bo Bichette
• Yankees and Cubs are fielding calls on Jazz Chisholm, Nico Hoerner
• Yankees submitted a formal offer to Cody Bellinger
• Padres showing interest in Kazuma Okamoto
• D’Backs…— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) January 1, 2026
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The good and the bad paint Bichette as a complicated player when taken together. He’s a great hitter who is already losing athleticism ahead of his age-28 season.
As far as contracts go, the seven-year, $182-million contract Willy Adames signed with the San Francisco Giants last offseason has been floated as a potential starting point. However, Bichette is probably seeking more than that, given his age and ability. Marcus Semien, his former teammate, inked his current seven-year, $175-million contract ahead of his age-31 season. He was coming off one of the best seasons by a second baseman in MLB history, but was on the wrong side of 30 and geared for second base, something Bichette has floated this winter.
Whichever team signs Bichette is going to have to commit for at least eight years, regardless of what position they intend to have him play defensively. That term with an average annual value of $25 million — in line with Adames and Semien— would work out to $200 million, which certainly seems fair. But is it enough?
It wouldn’t be surprising if Bichette and his camp are pushing for an average annual value closer to $27.5 million. That’s roughly what Trea Turner got on the 11-year, $300-million deal he inked with the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of his age-30 season. Xander Boegerts got just over $25 million annually on the now-infamous 11-year contract he signed with the San Diego Padres at the same age that same offseason. Both signed with plenty of questions about their long-term outlook.
BO BICHETTE THREE-RUN HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/bMlD28lfe9
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 2, 2025
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So, with all this considered, Bichette is probably seeking a deal in the neighbourhood of $220 million over eight years — and the Blue Jays should meet that price.
He’s a unicorn in today’s game: a high-contact hit machine who does damage. He consistently hits tough pitching and delivers in key spots with runners in scoring position. Look no further than his home run off Shohei Ohtani in game seven of the World Series for proof of his ability to meet the moment.
For the Blue Jays specifically, there’s also Bichette’s relationship with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to consider. The former has publicly expressed his desire to play his entire career with the latter on several occasions. They have spent their entire professional baseball journey together thus far, and it’s no coincidence that Guerrero seems to play his best when Bichette is right there beside him. That matters.
Whichever team meets Bichette’s price will be getting an intense competitor and, more importantly, a great baseball player.
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