Bo Bichette has been the talk of the town even before his free agency began in the winter. A bat-first player, Bichette and the likes of numerous other high-ranking position players, such as Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, remain without a contract, with spring training just over a month away.

It’s still in the Blue Jays’ best interest to bring the 27-year-old infielder back to the team, given his contributions in the 2025 playoffs and status as one of the faces of the franchise. During the Okamoto press conference earlier today, general manager Ross Atkins was asked about future moves this winter, and fans came away with the impression that he might not be done on the free agent front.

However, the young Floridian chooses to part with Toronto; here are four teams that the Blue Jays absolutely don’t want Bichette to join.

The Boston Red Sox may not have signed any big-name free agents this winter, but they have been busy bringing new faces through trades. So far, they’ve added Jake Bennett, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Johan Oviedo; these moves consequently boosted the team’s overall roster by solidifying the depth chart while bringing a well-known veteran power bat.

The Red Sox most likely won’t stop at these moves or rely solely on trades to complete their 2026 roster. They are currently pursuing Bichette, Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez, indicating that the team is prioritizing its offence at this stage of the offseason.

Even after trading its all-star infielder, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants, Boston’s offence never suffered with contributions from hitters like Roman Anthony, Bregman, and Ceddanne Raffaela. While bringing both Bregman and Bichette may not be the likeliest outcome for the Red Sox, signing Bichette would put their offence at the top of the league.

The Red Sox are having a youth movement, especially in their position player core, which isn’t particularly good news for the Blue Jays or the AL East as a whole. Being on the Red Sox would allow Bichette to become one of the veteran hitters and would open the potential for Boston to enjoy its offensive heyday for years to come.

This would be the nightmare scenario for the Blue Jays. Toronto already lost the 2025 World Series to Los Angeles; losing its all-star to its “worst enemy” would be a punch in the throat.

Currently, the Dodgers list Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas under second base and shortstop in their depth chart. Bringing in Bichette would clear this overlap on the roster and give the infielders clearer roles, especially since Bichette is willing to play second base as well. In this case, Edman and Rojas would most likely become strategic defensive replacements, while Betts and Bichette would become the mainstays on the infield.

From a bigger-picture perspective, the possibility of the right-handed power bat joining the Dodgers makes the team’s lineup practically flawless because it would feature Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith on top of Bichette. That’s already seven powerful hitters the league can’t ignore.

By and large, the Dodgers have had solid but rocky offensive performances during the past regular season and even for a few playoff games; striking a deal with Bichette would alleviate some of these issues in 2026.

The Dodgers have the money and flexibility to spend on whatever they want. The fact that they can sign Bichette and set their sight on another World Series trophy with foolproof offence and defence could be the definition of misery for the Blue Jays.

The New York Yankees have had an odd offseason, compared to other contenders. The team focused on making smaller moves like bringing on Paul Blackburn and Amed Rosario, but is sorely lacking big moves that would ultimately enhance its lineup.

Strictly speaking, the Yankees’ possibility of signing Bichette isn’t the most natural fit unless the team is willing to trade one of its infielders, such as Jazz Chisholm Jr. or Ryan McMahon, which is unlikely. But if New York believes that it needs to bring star power, bringing Bichette at all costs wouldn’t be the most irrational move since this offseason offers premium bats that next offseason simply won’t have. Anthony Volpe is the go-to option for New York at shortstop, so Bichette likely slides over to the other side in this situation.

Roster fit aside, adding Bichette to the Yankees’ lineup would bring even more power for a team that placed first in team home run ranking this past season. Although the likelihood of Bichette wearing a pinstripe is low, seeing the young hitter next to Aaron Judge won’t be the most exhilarating experience for the Blue Jays.

On Saturday, Jan. 3, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Philadelphia Phillies are among the big-market teams with interest in Bichette, alongside the Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, and Blue Jays.

In the Phillies lineup that’s already full of literal powerhouses like Bryce Harper, JT Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner, adding Bichette would balance their lefty-heavy roster while maintaining the power profile at the plate. Since the 27-year-old expressed his willingness to play second base, his fit with Philadelphia makes more sense.

The Blue Jays already have to worry about the impeccable Dodgers; they simply can’t let the Phillies become another dangerous threat in the playoffs. Additionally, Toronto has struggled to win the season series against Philadelphia for at least a couple of years. Letting Bichette sign with the Phillies, in that sense, could bite the Blue Jays back in all the wrong ways.

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