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Blue Jays: Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette, or Alex Bregman, who is the best fit?
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Photo credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 9, 2026, 09:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 9, 2026, 04:00 EST
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The Toronto Blue Jays added Kazuma Okamoto, but it doesn’t seem like they’re done.
They’ve added starting pitchers, they’ve added relief options, and they’ve added an interesting bat, but they still haven’t replaced Bo Bichette. Last season, the free agent slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs in 628 plate appearances for a 134 wRC+. It was a great rebound season after a disastrous 2024.
There are four options to fill this void, one of them is Bichette. Time may be running out on that option though, as the Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly set to meet him in the coming days. Who knows when he’ll sign.
In this article, we’ll see how much of a fit Bichette, Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, and Alex Bregman are after the signing of Okamoto.

Kyle Tucker

Tucker is the best bat on the market, but he also fits what the Blue Jays love in a player. He’s a contact hitter who rarely strikes out, can hit for power, and is solid defensively. The outfielder is also something that they need, given that he’s a left-handed batting outfielder who has hit second in the lineup throughout his career.
Last season, Tucker slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs in 597 plate appearances. It’s been reported that the outfielder suffered a hairline fracture on his hand, which could explain his “down year”. Prior to the hand injury that was sustained on Jun. 1, Tucker slashing .283/.391/.520 with 12 home runs in 266 plate appearances, good enough for a 150 wRC+
Even after the injury, Tucker slashed .253/.366/.419 with 10 home runs in 331 plate appearances, as he had a 125 wRC+ in that span. Tucker is a legitimate gamechanger, his 23.4 fWAR since 2021 is the 10th-best for position players.
He’s the type of player that a contender signs, even if he isn’t a fit. It just so happens that Tucker is a fit for the Blue Jays.

Cody Bellinger

With Cody Bellinger, you’re getting Kyle Tucker-lite, but on top of not producing like Tucker, the stuff under the hood isn’t nearly as promising as Tucker.
Last season with the New York Yankees, Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs in 656 plate appearances, with an 8.7 BB% and 13.7 K% for a 125 wRC+. He avoids striking out, makes solid contact, and is a good defensive fielder in both the outfield and at first base, so why is Tucker the far superior player despite the price point?
Well, Bellinger, a left-handed bat, benefited from playing at Yankee Stadium for half his games. Bellinger also tends to chase outside the zone quite a bit, but avoids whiffing. He’s not a bad second option if the Blue Jays truly want a left-handed batting outfield, but Tucker should be their priority.

Bo Bichette

The fit with Bichette is a little more tricky with the signing of Okamoto, but the Jays can still make it work. In this case, Ernie Clement would slide to a super utility role, while Addison Barger would play right field.
Although he’s not the best fit, nor the best bat on the market, Bichette has spent his entire professional career with the Jays and has played alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. essentially every step of the way. Bichette has said plenty of times he wants to win with Guerrero Jr., so you have to imagine he has interest in returning, even if there appears to be mutual interest with the Phillies.
In terms of what Bichette offers with the bat, he is absolutely a fit. He’s one of the best contact hitters in the sport, leading Major League Baseball in hits in both 191 and 189, and nearly doing so in 2025 despite missing the last three weeks.
Last season proved that his poor 2024 was just a blip, but there is legitimate concern about his defence at shortstop, his past injuries, and declining speed.

Alex Bregman

The Blue Jays were connected to Bregman quite a bit earlier in the off-season, but he’s far less of a fit than he was just a week ago with the Okamoto signing. He’s played some second base and shortstop in his career, but he’s best suited for third base, as Bregman is a strong defender.
Bregman is similar to both Bellinger and myself, as his best year was in 2019. That season, Bregman slashed .296/.423/.592 with 41 home runs in 690 plate appearances. He hasn’t reached those heights since, but he’s the type of player who’ll give you around 25 home runs a season, with his 18 home runs in 2025 being an exception.
Like the other three players mentioned in this article, Bregman is a strong contact hitter who rarely strikes out, with the added bonus of being able to draw plenty of walks. Unfortunately, he just isn’t much of a fit anymore with the signing of Okamoto.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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