TORONTO, ONTARIO – OCTOBER 31: Bo Bichette #11 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after the third out during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game six of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Center on October 31, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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The Toronto Blue Jays followed up their loss in World Series Game 7 with some significant roster additions.
The team agreed to its largest-ever contract for a free agent when it signed frontline starter Dylan Cease to a $210 million deal. Shortly after that, the team added reigning KBO Most Valuable Player Cody Ponce to the rotation as well.
So, when the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings began, Blue Jays fans were hoping the team’s next move would be to re-sign franchise shortstop Bo Bichette, who became a free agent after some Fall Classic heroics.
But the meetings came and went without a new deal for Bichette and the Blue Jays could now be looking to move on without him.
“As the Jays wait on Bichette and other top free agents to sign, (Andres) Gimenez is preparing to play whatever middle infield position the Jays require, general manager Ross Atkins said,” according to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon. “‘He’s preparing as if he could play both,’ Atkins said. ‘Which means, from a mindset standpoint, he’s thinking more about shortstop at this point.’”
When Bichette’s stellar 2025 season ended with an injury, Gimenez took on the shortstop role for the playoffs and handled it admirably. When Bichette returned for the World Series, Gimenez stuck at shortstop with Bichette moving to second base.
Now Gimenez is focused on taking over the shortstop position as the team wants him to be ready to replace Bichette at shortstop, possibly because the free agent never returns to the team at all or because if he does come back, it might be at a new position.
When asked about the possibility of a return for Bichette, Blue Jays manager John Schneider recently shared that the team is still hopeful about a reunion. Though it could pivot to outfield free agent Kyle Tucker.
“We’re still looking to add a bat,” Schneider said during a recent appearance on “Foul Territory.” “We’re talking with Bo. We’ve met with Tucker. We’d love to have Bo back.”
With Gimenez in place, it seems like the Blue Jays have some flexibility with any future roster additions they might be planning. Of course, there’s a possibility that the team brings in Tucker and reunites with Bichette while moving Gimenez to shortstop or back to second base.
After a Cinderella run all the way to the World Series in this past season, the Blue Jays could be ready to capitalize on their window.