{"id":351146,"date":"2025-12-17T13:25:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T13:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/351146\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T13:25:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T13:25:10","slug":"blue-jays-may-target-rival-slugger-if-bo-bichette-plans-fall-through","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/351146\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Jays May Target Rival Slugger If Bo Bichette Plans Fall Through"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6v\">The Toronto Blue Jays entered the offseason ready to spend big and land the pieces of what they hope is their next championship team after getting so close to glory in 2025.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6y\">As the offseason got started, Toronto proved this by going out and dropping huge amounts of money to rebuild their pitching staff by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/decision-sign-dylan-cease-right-move-blue-jays-accomplish-feat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">signing Dylan Cease<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/kbo-teammate-knows-why-blue-jays-cody-ponce-got-huge-deal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cody Ponce<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/inside-tyler-rogers-37m-contract-toronto-blue-jays\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tyler Rogers<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/did-blue-jays-overpay-dylan-cease-free-agency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">lucrative deals<\/a>. Now though, it&#8217;s time for general manager Ross Atkins to turn his focus to the lineup.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"71\">The Blue Jays have been linked over and over again to a potential <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/blue-jays-projected-bring-back-free-agent-bo-bichette\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reunion with Bo Bichette<\/a> as well as the possibility of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/blue-jays-projected-lose-top-free-agent-target-kyle-tucker-hated-rival\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">bringing in Kyle Tucker<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/blue-jays-can-land-superstar-free-agent-targets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">even somehow doing both<\/a>. Guys like Cody Bellinger in the next tier <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/blue-jays-best-possible-move-stealing-free-agent-star-from-yankees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">have been mentioned as well<\/a>, but what if the big addition is someone they have not been linked to much at all?<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-3\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"74\">Despite being one of the top free agents available, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/could-blue-jays-poach-all-star-slugger-from-division-rival-free-agency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Boston Red Sox star third baseman Alex Bregman<\/a> has not been connected heavily to Toronto. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6877232\/2025\/12\/09\/blue-jays-winter-meetings-notes-dylan-cease\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mitch Bannon of The Athletic<\/a> (subscription required) though, the team sees him as a very nice backup plan.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Jays Reportedly See Alex Bregman as Bichette Backup Plan<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/01kcmgz5hvt4v0384sxt.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Bregman of Boston Red Sox hits ball against Toronto Blue Jays\" title=\"Alex Bregman of Boston Red Sox hits ball against Toronto Blue Jays\" width=\"5488\" height=\"3087\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"7g\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sep 24, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN;  Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre.  | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7k\">&#8220;Bregman, two league sources said, could be a potential back-up plan for Toronto if the Jays fail to sign Tucker or Bichette,&#8221; Bannon wrote. &#8220;If the Jays miss on Bichette, they aren\u2019t required to add another infielder&#8230;But signing Bregman would add another lineup threat and clubhouse leader on a potentially shorter deal than Tucker or Bichette.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7n\">For someone who has not garnered as much of the attention as the other free agents Toronto has been linked to, Bregman could prove to end up being the best fit out of all of them. Similarly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/could-major-change-coming-bo-bichette-he-re-signs-blue-jays\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">to Bichette, he can play third or move to second<\/a>, and his offensive ceiling might profile out even better.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7q\">Bregman is, of course, almost half a decade older, but Atkins could use this to his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/blue-jays-bo-bichette-will-need-strong-finish-receive-200-million-contract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">benefit<\/a> rather than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/even-without-bo-bichette-blue-jays-2026-payroll-built-to-win-now\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">locking the organization into a very lengthy Bichette deal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Signing Bregman May Be Better Result Than Bichette for Blue Jays<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/01kcmhbmpwq8xxez1rsq.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Bregman of Boston Red Sox celebrates with teammates after big hit against Boston Red Sox third\" title=\"Alex Bregman of Boston Red Sox celebrates with teammates after big hit against Boston Red Sox third\" width=\"4035\" height=\"2269\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"82\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Apr 29, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) is congratulated after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre.  | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"86\">Nobody north of the border is going to argue that Bregman is a better hitter than Bichette, but he is certainly a better fielder and given Bichette&#8217;s injury history, may be more reliable. While a Bichette contract would take at least a six or seven-year commitment, Bregman will be half that.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-12\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"89\">The 2024 Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star answered any questions about declining offensive numbers in 2025 with a season in which he slashed .273\/.360\/.462 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI in just 114 games.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8c\">Bregman is as reliable as they come as it relates to offensive production, while Bichette obviously had the disaster 2024 season that still may leave a sour taste in the mouths of some.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8f\">Most importantly though, getting Bregman at four or five years, and potentially less with opt outs, gives Atkins and Toronto the room to spend big elsewhere for years to come, something that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/bo-bichette-next-contract-could-mirror-these-mlb-stars-deals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">may not be the case if they keep Bichette<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-15\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8i\">Some real decisions have to be made here, but there is no question that Bregman would be a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/bluejays\/onsi\/news\/blue-jays-wild-bo-bichette-backup-plan-sees-blockbuster-trade-star-infielder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wonderful second choice<\/a> if Bichette winds up in a different uniform.<\/p>\n<p>Recommended Articles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Toronto Blue Jays entered the offseason ready to spend big and land the pieces of what they&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":351147,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-351146","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-mlb","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351146\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/351147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=351146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=351146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}