The Toronto Blue Jays may be facing an uphill task in their quest to keep Bo Bichette, with Alex Bregman’s signing leading to more serious pursuit and one NL club with an unusual advantage swooping in.
Bregman’s decision to sign with the Chicago Cubs reportedly led the Boston Red Sox to increase their interest in Bichette, and the longtime Blue Jays star could have another contender in the mix this week. Bichette is meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies, which MLB.com insider Manny Randhawa believes could have a special pull for Bichette.
Phillies’ Small Park Could Attract Bichette
While there are several teams showing interest in Bichette, MLB.com insider Ken Rosenthal believes the Phillies have emerged as a “favorite” to sign him. Rosenthal reported that the Phillies were meeting with the infielder on Zoom on Monday.
Appearing on the “Fair Territory” podcast, Rosenthal said he believes the Phillies could make an offer before the meeting begins.
“If I had to guess right now, I would say the Phillies are the favorite. We’ll see what happens,” Rosenthal said.
The Phillies could have other advantages for Bichette beyond their financial offer. Randhawa noted that the Phillies could be a “serious” contender with an offer to help increase his power-hitting numbers.
“Going from Toronto to Philadelphia would mean going from the 11th-ranked ballpark for home runs on Statcast’s park factors index (Rogers Centre) to the venue ranked No. 4,” Randhawa wrote. “You can imagine more of Bichette’s scorching liners (many of which ended up being among his 44 doubles last year) going over the wall at Citizens Bank Park.
“So, while Bichette isn’t a prototypical home run hitter (his career high is 29), a move to Philly could lead to more prodigious power production from him — perhaps even a 30-homer campaign.”
Randhawa noted that Bichette’s expected home run total would have been 23 at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, four more than he hit with the Blue Jays in 2025.
The Phillies have other points that could entice Bichette, including the chance to hit at the top of a lineup with Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper. The Phillies also hired Don Mattingly as their new bench coach, reprising the same role he played for Bichette in Toronto.
Blue Jays Keeping on Bichette
The Blue Jays are reportedly still in the mix for Bichete, with Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reporting that the team would be able to offer a short-term deal similar to the one that Pete Alonso took with the New York Mets in 2025 before landing his mega-deal with the Baltimore Orioles.
“The Jays will likely stay in touch with Bichette’s representatives as free agency remains fluid and plans evolve,” Bannon wrote. “Perhaps if Bichette elects to take a shorter deal with opt-outs, similar to the contracts signed by Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Cody Bellinger in recent offseasons, the Jays could make things work for a year.”
If the interest in Bichette remains high, the chances of him agreeing to a short-term deal to stay with the Blue Jays could grow more slim.
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