In the bottom of the third inning in Game Seven of the World Series, Toronto Blue Jays seven-year veteran shortstop Bo Bichette, battling through a left knee injury that kept him sidelined from September 6 until the Fall Classic began, came to the plate against the Los Angeles Dodgersâ Shohei Ohtani â and with one swing of the bat gave his team a 3-0 lead.
Bichette’s three-run home run off Ohtani looked like it was going to be enough to bring the World Series trophy to Canada for the first time since 1993. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way. The Dodgers chipped away, and by the end of the ninth, the score was 4-4.
A home run by Dodgers catcher Will Smith in the top of the 11th held up, sending the Dodgers to their second straight championship and leaving the Blue Jays and pretty much all of Canada disappointed.
Bichetteâs Salary Predictions Cover Wide Range
Days later, Bichette became a free agent, and according to a prediction by baseball analyst Zach Mentz of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the 27-year-old son of retired major leaguer Dante Bichette is expected to depart Toronto to sign an eight-year contract worth $216 million.
Mentz’s prediction for the size of Bichette’s free agent contract is actually the highest of numerous prognostications around the two-time American League All-Star’s next deal. Other predictions range down to $130 million over five years.
The estimate comes from Kiley McDaniel, an MLB expert writing for ESPN.com.
The sports business site Spotrac projects Bichette’s market value at $186 million over eight years.
Who Are the Teams Who Could Pay Bichette?
“Bichetteâs defense has never been his calling card, and his baserunning has declined. But this is a rare talent offensively, a middle infielder who can bat in the middle of almost any lineup,” wrote MLB.com Blue Jays correspondent Keegan Matheson. “Because of this, expect there to be an extremely wide range in how Bichette is valued, which could cause his market to drag on. But he still belongs at the very top of any free-agent discussion, especially surrounding Toronto.”
But where will Bichette land? Which team will be willing to pay as much as $216 million for the lifetime .806 OPS, 111 home run hitter, the Blue Jaysâ 2016 second-round draft pick out of Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida?
According to an analysis by Jordan Leandre of Just Baseball published on Monday, Bichette ranks atop the “biggest free agency betrayals we could see this winter.”
Leandre predicts that Bichette could land with one of the Blue Jaysâ closest American League East Division rivals, the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
Both Yankees, Red Sox Need Shortstops
“Bichette would address holes on two division rivals. With the Yankees, shortstop Anthony Volpe has done precious little to endear himself to the fanbase. His offense has stagnated at the MLB level, with his defense taking a dramatic hit in 2025,” Leandre wrote.
“As for the Red Sox, thereâs an opening on the infield, full stop,” the Just Baseball commentator continued. “While chief baseball officer Craig Breslow recently backed the incumbent Trevor Story as his teamâs shortstop, his drop-off in defensive production last year canât be ignored.”
Both of those teams are high-payroll franchises, with the Yankees projected by FanGraphs to spend $260 million on its players in 2026, with the Red Sox coming in at $167 million. Either should be able to add Bichette to its ledger, if they choose to fill their shortstop gaps through free agency.
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