Bo Bichette has a big offseason in his sights.
Of course, the Toronto Blue Jays' shortstop isn't thinking about that right now. In first place in the AL East, Bichette and his teammates are thinking championship.
But whenever this season ends, Bichette will be a free agent. The Blue Jays haven't signed him to an extension, and he's set to hit the open market.
As the top shortstop available, he should get a hefty payday for a long time.
The Athletic's Jim Bowden ranks Bichette as the No. 6 available free agent overall and writes that he should get either seven or eight years on a contract.
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Will it be with the Blue Jays? That's a lot harder to know right now.
Here's Bowden's full write-up on Bichette:
"Bichette has had a solid bounce-back year, regaining his value after a brutal 2024 season. He leads the league in hits once again and has 35 doubles and 16 homers. He will enter free agency with the ability to play either shortstop or third base going forward. Bichette, who will turn 28 next March, should be able to land a seven- or even eight-year contract this winter."
If he stays at the top, this will be Bichette's third time leading the league in hits.
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His nightmare 2024 looks more and more like an outlier, so teams will have to pay for the solid athlete with the great bat-to-ball skills.
Toronto already has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. around for the long haul. The Blue Jays could give their fanbase double trouble and keep Bichette, too.
There'll be plenty of competition for Bichette's signature, though, and whichever team is willing to offer an extra year or a bit of extra money could find an edge.
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