The off-season has truly begun.
On Thursday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays made a handful of moves. Chief among them was the announcement that Bo Bichette received a qualifying offer. If he were to accept, he’d make $22.05 million for the 2026 season. However, Bichette won’t accept this qualifying offer. This is a procedural move for the Blue Jays because if Bichette signs elsewhere in free agency, the Jays will receive a draft pick after the fourth round in the 2026 draft due to them being a tax-paying team.
Signing Bichette is paramount for the Blue Jays. Last season, the 27-year-old returned to his usual self, slashing .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs in 628 plate appearances for a 134 wRC+ and 3.8 fWAR. This came after a disastrous 2024 season, where Bichette slashed .225/.277/.322 with four home runs in an injury-filled season. Bichette also had a strong postseason once returning from his knee injury, slashing .348/.444/.478 with a home run in 27 plate appearances during the World Series. Had things gone differently in Game 7, his home run would be immortalized in Blue Jays history. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. The last time a Blue Jay departed after receiving a qualifying offer was after the 2023 season, when Matt Chapman signed with the San Francisco Giants. In return, the Jays received a pick after the fourth round, using it to select Nick Mitchell, who was eventually included in the Andrés Giménez trade. After the 2021 season, both Robbie Ray and Marcus Semien departed the Blue Jays after receiving a qualifying offer. At the time, the Jays weren’t a tax-paying team, meaning they received two picks after the second round, using them to select Cade Doughty and Tucker Toman. Under the current format introduced in the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, no Blue Jay has ever accepted their qualifying offer.
Bichette has until Nov. 18 to decide whether or not he accepts. He surely won’t.
