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Both the Blue Jays and their fans want to see Bo Bichette in a Toronto uniform next season, as the ballclub tries to run it back<\/a> all the way to the World Series.<\/p>\n But nothing is guaranteed, as Bichette \u2014 a career Blue Jay to this point \u2014 has declined a qualifying offer<\/a> from Toronto to become a free agent, meaning he is no longer under contract and is eligible to sign with other teams. <\/p>\n Baseball players wait years to reach free agency, and their decisions can be consequential for teams and emotional for fans. <\/p>\n And with cases involving homegrown stars like Bichette, the stakes can be even higher, because teams face heightened pressure to keep these top performers on the payroll.<\/p>\n Here’s a look back at how the Blue Jays and some past stars from the Toronto system have navigated the basepaths when free agency was looming \u2014 including when a repeat run at a World Series was on the horizon.<\/p>\n Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/p>\n The Montreal-born Guerrero grew up in the Dominican Republic and signed a contract with the Blue Jays as an international free agent when he was a teenager<\/a>, in 2015.<\/p>\n He got to the big leagues in 2019<\/a>, and within a few years, became a bona fide superstar. <\/p>\n Guerrero is now a five-time All-Star, won the home run derby in 2023 and has made the All-MLB team three times. He also took home this year’s ALCS MVP trophy<\/a> and won the inaugural MLB entertainer of the year<\/a> award.<\/p>\n Guerrero could have become a free agent this winter, meaning Toronto would have had to compete for his services on the open market \u2014 as is the case with Bichette at the moment.<\/p>\n But Guerrero agreed to a 14-year, $500-million US contract extension<\/a> in the spring, eliminating the risk of him leaving.<\/p>\n Roy Halladay<\/p>\n Halladay, a first-round Toronto draft pick in 1995, had an amazing 12-year career with the Blue Jays that included a Cy Young Award<\/a> and six All-Star selections. <\/p>\n But Halladay’s success came at a time when Toronto was smack in the middle of a two-decade long playoff drought, which always left the intense competitor on the outside looking in<\/a> when the post-season rolled around.<\/p>\n Eventually, it became clear that Halladay wanted a change<\/a> and was unlikely to re-sign with Toronto as a free agent.<\/p>\n While he was still under contract, the pitcher was moved to the Philadelphia Phillies via a complex trade involving four teams<\/a>, after the 2009 season. He soon signed a three-year, $60 million US extension<\/a> with his new ballclub.<\/p>\n Halladay went on to win another Cy Young with the Phillies<\/a>, and to play in the post-season on two occasions \u2014 something he never got to do as a Blue Jay.<\/p>\n He was killed when his small plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico in 2017<\/a>, and when he was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame<\/a> two years later, his family decided there would be no logo on his plaque because both the Jays and the Phillies had meant a lot to him.<\/p>\n Vernon Wells<\/p>\n Wells was the Blue Jays’ first-round pick in 1997 and developed into the team’s starting centre-fielder as of the 2002 season.<\/p>\n In December 2006, Wells signed a seven-year, $126-million US deal to stick with Toronto. (The deal came after a mid-summer media report claimed he was not going to re-sign<\/a> with the Jays.)<\/p>\n By the time that contract wrapped, however, Wells was on his third major league team, as Toronto traded him to the Anaheim Angels<\/a> (now the Los Angeles Angels) ahead of the 2011 season.<\/p>\n Wells played two seasons with the Angels before moving on to New York for the final season of his career.<\/p>\n Like Halladay, Wells longed for a chance to take the field in a playoff game<\/a>. But it didn’t happen for him in Anaheim or New York.<\/p>\n Carlos Delgado<\/p>\n Delgado got to the majors in 1993, but only played two regular-season games with the Toronto squad that won the World Series and didn’t make the playoff roster.<\/p>\n But from 1994 through 2004, Delgado became the team’s marquee slugger, slamming 336 home runs<\/a> for Toronto \u2014 a record no Blue Jay has since surpassed.<\/p>\n The Jays managed to prevent Delgado’s entry into free agency through a series of contract extensions and perks \u2014 including a no-trade clause<\/a> and the right to demand a trade.<\/p>\n When Delgado finally hit free agency, he signed a four-year, $52 million US deal to play for the Florida Marlins<\/a> (now the Miami Marlins). <\/p>\n But he ended up playing for the New York Mets the following season, after a trade by the cost-cutting Marlins<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763803269_159_default.jpg\")
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates after hitting a double during the 11th inning of Game 7 of the World Series. Guerrero, who’s spent his entire career with Toronto, signed a 14-year contract extension with the Jays in April. (Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763803270_525_default.jpg\")
Roy Halladay spent 12 seasons in the majors as a Blue Jay, but eventually moved to the Philadelphia Phillies for the final four seasons of his career. (Rob Carr\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763803270_180_default.jpg\")
The Blue Jays signed Vernon Wells to a seven-year, $126-million US contract in December 2006. But he was moved to the Anaheim Angels a few years later and eventually finished his MLB career as a New York Yankee. (Darren Calabrese\/The Canadian Press)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763803271_6_default.jpg\")
Carlos Delgado played for the Blue Jays from the mid-90s through the 2004 season. He then played briefly for the Florida Marlins, before playing with the New York Mets for a handful of seasons at the end of his career. (Bill Kostroun\/The Associated Press)<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763803271_698_default.jpg\")
Pitcher Jimmy Key winds up for a pitch during a game on June 6, 1985, against the Detroit Tigers. Key was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays from 1984 to 1992. He then became a free agent and signed with the New York Yankees. (Gary Hershorn\/Reuters)<\/p>\n