The Blue Jays have been the most aggressive team in free agency so far this winter. Their offseason so far has been headlined by a seven-year contract Dylan Seth. That hasn’t stopped them from being aggressive at the top of the market, however, and the Jayhawks remain the team most obviously linked to two of the winter’s top free agents: outfielders Kyle Tucker and infielder Beau Bichette. Bichette, of course, has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays, and he hasn’t been shy about expressing his desire to remain with Toronto. Tucker, meanwhile, seems almost certain to leave his current Cubs organization for a better future, and just yesterday he met with the Blue Jays at the club’s spring training facility in Dunedin.
While Toronto is very clearly involved in the market for both players, it’s worth noting that the Blue Jays’ luxury tax payroll already stands at approximately $282MM, according to RosterResource. If Tucker or Bichette add an annual salary of $25-40, they will exceed the maximum threshold of the luxury tax, which is $304. Once exceeded, they will be subject to the most severe penalties. They may be unwilling or unable to both re-sign Bichette and include Tucker in the mix. If the Jayhawks can only get one of their top two hitters of the offseason, who would be a better fit for their lineup?
Bichette is a familiar option and his impact on the team is undisputed. hit a three-run home run Shohei Ohtani Bichette came into the game injured in Game 7 of this year’s World Series, nearly clinching the Jayhawks’ title, and that was just part of a .348/.444/.478 performance in seven Fall Classic games despite limping on the bases and in the field. Although Bichette had an injury-plagued and very disappointing season in 2024 that soured his overall profile somewhat, he still had a wRC+ of 120 or better in six of his seven MLB seasons and a career mark of 122. He’s done all of this while typically playing a generally good enough shortstop, which is even more impressive.
That being said, Bichette is not a perennial MVP candidate. He’s never been very good defensively in the infield, and looking at this year’s defensive numbers, he’s having a disastrous defensive season, making his future likely at second or third base. While Bichette has been impressive when healthy, he is only the Jayhawks’ third-best hitter in 2025. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Of course, Bichette is far ahead of the rest of the team in terms of star power and overall offensive impact, but over the years Bichette has outperformed George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, Brandon Belt, Marcus Semienand Teoscar Hernandez In the Blue Jays lineup for many years. None of these players can match Bichette’s consistency, but it’s fair to say he doesn’t offer the kind of six-plus-win edge that many recent top free agents have.
This is where Tucker stands out. The 28-year-old (29 in January) is slightly better than Bichette as a hitter. Tucker’s career 138 wRC+ is four points higher than Bichette’s mark this year, his career single-season high outside of his 46-game rookie season in 2019. Since the start of the 2021 season, Tucker has hit .277/.365/.514 with 23.4 fWAR, which is more than Bichette has accumulated in his entire career. Tucker is also a perennial 25- to 30-base-stealing threat, while Bichette has only stolen more than 13 bags once in his career. Tucker’s status as a left-handed hitter would also make him a strong complement to the Birds’ impressive roster of right-handed hitters, which includes not only Guerrero but also Springer and Kirk.
While the fit between Tucker and the Blue Jays looks perfect, it’s worth considering that Bichette might prove to be a better long-term investment. Both have been plagued by injuries over the past two years, with Tucker playing 214 games and Bichette 220 games. That being said, Bichette is one year younger than Tucker and is also expected to get the shorter (and cheaper) contract of the two; MLBTR predicts Bichette will sign an eight-year, $2.08 million deal, while Tucker is expected to get an 11-year, $4 million deal. From a team’s long-term perspective, paying Bichette for his age-35 season certainly sounds more attractive than paying Tucker for his age-39 season. Tucker, meanwhile, will undoubtedly bring more of a near-term impact to a team that’s coming off just a handful of outs in the World Series title and has made it clear they’re going to give it their all in the current window.
Location suitability also needs to be considered. Bichette will either return to his spot at shortstop or move to second, Andres Jimenez Occupying another center infield spot. This would put all other position players in a similar position to 2025. Addison Barger and Davis Schneider Both played some infield and some outfield while Ernie Clement Plays are played throughout the infield.
If Tucker is signed, he will join Springer in the outfield mix. Anthony Santander and Dalton Washoe. This will push Barger and Schneider more firmly into the infield and bump Nathan Lukes To the bench unless someone is traded.
Assuming the Blue Jays can only sign one of Bichette or Tucker, which one do MLBTR readers think would be a better fit for the organization? Would Bichette’s status as a regular on the current team, stability, and more affordable expected contract make him the better option? Or does the immediate impact Tucker provides and the advantages a big lefty bat provides outweigh those advantages? Or should they skip both and spend the money on relievers or different bats? Have your say in the poll below:
