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Blue Jays: Bo Bichette rejects qualifying offer
Baseball

Blue Jays: Bo Bichette rejects qualifying offer

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Bo Bichette will officially hit the open market.

As expected, the Toronto Blue Jays cornerstone infielder turned down the $22.05 million qualifying offer to become a free agent. The 27-year-old was one of nine players who rejected their qualifying offers, with other notable names including Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, Edwin Díaz, Ranger Suárez and Michael King.

There were a handful of players who accepted their qualifying offer. Most notably, Trent Grisham accepted the New York Yankees’ offer, throwing a spanner in the works of the Blue Jays’ rival. Other players who accepted their qualifying offers were Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff and Chicago Cubs starter Shota Imanaga.

Bichette’s rejection of the qualifying offer was procedural; it is not a bad sign in the negotiations between the two sides. Although he’s about to hit the market, the Blue Jays are still in his market, according to general manager Ross Atkins.

Entering the 2025 season, Bichette was having the worst year of his career, hitting .225/.277/.322 with four home runs in 336 plate appearances in an injury-riddled season. Well, he rebounded in a big way, slashing .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs in 628 at-bats for a 134 wRC+, the best wRC+ of his career.

If Bichette signs elsewhere this season, the Blue Jays will be entitled to compensation in the 2026 draft. That pick would be after the fourth round. The last time the Blue Jays had a compensatory pick was in the 2024 draft, when they selected outfield prospect Nick Mitchell. Last offseason, Mitchell was part of the Andrés Giménez trade. Previously, the Jays received compensatory picks for both Marcus Semien and Robbie Ray in the 2022 draft; both picks came after the second round.
It’s worth noting that the Blue Jays will most likely lose a handful of picks as they have been linked to Tucker and Díaz so far this offseason. Because they were a competitive taxpayer, the Jays will lose their second and fifth overall picks. If they sign two players who rejected qualifying offers, they lose their second, third, fifth and sixth round picks.

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