News

Blue Jays all-star Bo Bichette not thinking about free agency — yet

Written by The Canadian Press on October 31, 2025

TORONTO — Bo Bichette is focused on the World Series, even if he might only have two games left with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bichette spoke with the media on Friday ahead of Game 6 of the World Series between Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Blue Jays led the best-of-seven series 3-2, with Major League Baseball’s season set to end this weekend.

The 27-year-old shortstop will become a free agent in the off-season. A reporter asked Bichette if he thought about the fact that he might be putting on a Blue Jays hat and jersey for the last time.

“I mean, I’m trying to win a World Series,” said Bichette. “I would be lying if I hadn’t thought about that at some point during the season, but I’ve got a World Series to win.”

Bichette was drafted by Toronto in the second round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, going 66th overall. He made his big league debut on July 29, 2019 and has gone on to hit .294 with 111 home runs, 437 runs batted in and a .337 on-base percentage over seven seasons, all with the Blue Jays. He was also named an all-star in 2021 and 2023.

He had an excellent 2025, hitting .311 with 18 homers, 94 RBIs and a .357 OBP before he sprained his left knee on Sept. 6 in a game against the New York Yankees after sliding into the catcher’s shin guards at home plate.

“It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve obviously grown up here in so many different ways,” said Bichette. “It’s the only organization I know, but I’m not really looking at the past.

“I’ve got some pretty important stuff ahead of me right now.”

Bichette was kept off Toronto’s roster for the American League Division Series and the AL Championship Series because of the knee injury. He was included in the Blue Jays’ World Series roster but was moved to second base to protect his knee.

He was asked on Friday how he balanced playing in the World Series versus potentially aggravating the injury and damaging his value on the free agent market.

“It’s the World Series, so none of that stuff really matters, to be honest,” said Bichette, who added that he won’t need surgery in the off-season. “I’ll put it all out there for this.

“There was no tough decisions in it.”

Bichette came up through the Blue Jays’ minor-league system with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with the pair making their MLB debut within months of each other in 2019.

Guerrero, however, signed a 14-year, US$500 million extension with the Blue Jays on April 9. That deal could allow Guerrero to play in Toronto for his entire professional career.

Guerrero is a five-time all-star, a Gold Glove winner, a two-time Silver Slugger winner, and was named the ALCS MVP after the Blue Jays’ dramatic Game 7 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

“(Bichette) gets overshadowed a little bit,” said Toronto manager John Schneider. “Bo’s been so good for us this year and his entire time here, really.

“I’m happy for him to be in this, to be on this stage. It was hard for him, mentally and physically, for a couple weeks, down toward the end of the year into the first couple rounds. I think his mental toughness really came through.”