The Toronto Blue Jays have been aggressive this winter, and one of their moves was signing Kazuma Okamoto to a $60 million deal. Adding the third basemen could mean they are less inclined to aggressively attempt to retain Bo Bichette.
According to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon, odds of the Blue Jays re-signing Bichette are “increasingly unlikely” after the Okamoto signing. Bichette reportedly met with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, but they are not the only team showing interest. The Red Sox are expected to target him after Alex Bregman reportedly agreed to join the Chicago Cubs.
Another team potentially waiting for Bichette is one the rest of the league is likely hoping stays out of the sweepstakes. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Dodgers are “waiting for either (Kyle) Tucker or Bichette to fall to them on a shorter-term deal with a high average annual value closer to their price range.”
The Dodgers are hated by many fans for how they operate. They have taken building a superteam to a new level and have already added Edwin Díaz this season. They defeated the Blue Jays in the World Series last season and are looking to three-peat. Most fans want to see nothing more than their collapse, but SNY’s Anthony McCarron predicted they would land Bichette.
“The Dodgers are two-time defending champs and already addressed one weakness by adding Edwin Díaz,” wrote McCarron. “They only got a .649 OPS from their second basemen last season, so they sign Bo Bichette to fix another flaw. It puts Bichette at a position he’s better suited for and adds a nifty contact bat to their lineup. Could be a short-term deal, which Bichette, who turns 28 in March, might consider because it’d put him back on the market while still in his prime. Three-peat, anyone?”
Signing Bichette could indirectly solve the Dodgers’ outfield problem. It would allow Edman to go back to the outfield full-time, with Bichette and Mookie Betts manning the middle of the infield. Bichette is not a good defender at shortstop, so he could slot in at second base, which is where he played in the Fall Classic.
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