“Changed his name to No Bichette”; “Not surprised” - Fans split as Bo Bichette turns down Blue Jays 1-year qualifying offer

Bo Bichette was among nine players to have rejected the $22.025 qualifying offer. The Toronto Blue Jays shortstop will be looking for a sizable long-term contract in his first run-in as a free agent.

Bichette hit .311 in the season with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs this past season. He regained his elite form at the plate after a disappointing injury-curtailed 2024 campaign, where he managed only a .225 average in 81 games.

Fans on social media had mixed feelings regarding Bichette's status. Some fans felt that it was on the cards since Bichette would be signed by Toronto long-term, while others felt that the team was better off without him.

Here are a few reactions from X:

"Changed his name to No Bichette," a fan said.

"Not surprised," a fan wrote.

"Let him go. The rest of the team played hurt and he didn't. He's too special for that," a fan opined.

"A one year qualifying offer is just to guarantee a draft pick. Dollars to Donuts they're trying to work out a legitimate longer term deal," a fan stated.

"Bo is gunna rinse Toronto or the team that overpays for him. Watch his performance fall off a cliff," a fan added.

"Love Bo but would rather sign Kyle Tucker," another fan said.

The qualifying offer value is determined by calculating the mean salary from all the top 125 players in the league for the upcoming season. If a player who has received a qualifying offer rejects it, then the team that made the offer gets a compensatory draft pick.

The general trend has been for a free agent to reject the qualifying offer; however, this year, a record four players accepted it. However, the top crop of free agents heading to free agency for the first time, such as Kyle Schwarber, Edwin Diaz, Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, alongside Bichette, have rejected it.

Blue Jays GM confirms team will pursue Bo Bichette as free agent

During last week's GM Meetings held in Las Vegas, Toronto Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins acknowledged that while there will be competition for the infielder, the team isn't willing to give up on an important piece like Bo Bichette.

“A great player,” Atkins said last week. “Bo has been a significant part of us being in a strong position today. He’s a reason that we’re coming off of five solid seasons of baseball and one really, really good year of baseball. He’s had a lot to do with it. I know he’s going to be attractive to the market, and we’ll be in his market.”

Bichette almost became the Blue Jays' hero in Game 7 of the World Series after he hit a three-run home run to put his team in front early on. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers mounted a comeback and the hunt for a World Series championship for Canada persisted.

Edited by R. Nikhil Parshy