Blue Jays Star Bo Bichette Primed for Massive Free Agency Deal

As the 2025 MLB season nears its conclusion, the Toronto Blue Jays are facing a crucial decision regarding the future of their star shortstop, Bo Bichette. Bichette, who debuted for the team in 2019, is in his walk year and is poised to command a massive contract in free agency.

Despite underperforming last season due to injuries, Bichette's performances in the current campaign have been stellar, leading to a projected 8-year, $182 million contract according to Sportrac. Former Blue Jays slugger Whit Merrifield believes Bichette will indeed garner such a lucrative deal, but he doesn't think the money will deter the young star from his relentless pursuit of excellence.

"A lot of times there's concern about giving guys nine, 10-figure deals," Merrifield said. "But Bo's not that guy. I think it's very easy to see that what drives him is being a good baseball player and winning games. The money is not going to deter him from chasing that and halter that work ethic."

Bichette's journey has been closely intertwined with that of his teammate, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Both players debuted for the Blue Jays around the same time in 2019 and have since developed a strong friendship, which Bichette says has only grown stronger through their shared experiences of struggling and overcoming adversity.

"It's probably the strongest it's ever been," Bichette said. "We both have struggled, and we both have handled it well from a personal relationship standpoint. There's even more respect now as human beings with how we've dealt with adversity, and how we've overcome it."

The Blue Jays have already secured Guerrero Jr.'s long-term future, signing him to a $500 million, 14-year contract extension in April. Now, the organization must decide whether to make a similar commitment to Bichette, who has proven himself to be an integral part of the team's core.