New Headline: Bichette Jr. Dominates Defenses, Yankees Hold Firm

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 21: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets speaks to media during an introductory press conference after signing a contract with the New York Mets at Citi Field on January 21, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) Getty Images The Toronto Blue Jays made quite a few additions to the roster in the wake of their disappointing World Series defeat. But even if their roster now has more talent overall than it did last year, many fans will miss one star player.

As the Blue Jays added high-priced free agent pitchers and then Japanese star infielder Kazuma Okamoto, it became clear that they would be comfortable with long-time shortstop Bo Bichette leaving for another team. Eventually, that is what happened. After the Blue Jays had already largely reshaped their roster, Bichette agreed to a three-year deal with the New York Mets.

He had reportedly been close to taking a long-term deal from the Philadelphia Phillies as well and he never seemed particularly close to reuniting with the team that drafted him for the long-term. MORE FROM FORBES Yankees’ Former Slugger Could Cut Ties With Mets Next Week By Peter Chawaga Toronto Blue Jays’ Relationship With Bo Bichette Seemed To Fade Before New York Mets Deal As much as Bichette became a fan favorite in Toronto, maybe more fans should have seen the departure coming. “For the last couple of years I had been working under the assumption that Bichette would not be in Toronto long term because all signs had been pointing in that direction,” Gregor Chisholm wrote for the Toronto Star .

“A year before he hit the open market, they acquired his potential replacement in Andres Giménez. They clearly had reservations about his long-term future. As a result, Bichette didn’t always feel appreciated and at times had disagreements with the coaching staff.