Bo Bichette is still one of the most fascinating names on the free agent market. The Blue Jays’ World Series hero finished 16th in AL MVP voting despite a left knee sprain that sidelined him for the final month. But guess what, that rebound wasn’t enough to get him the long term deal he wanted in Toronto.

So, now he’s testing the open market, drawing fresh interest, and there’s a new contender in the mix: the Red Sox. With reports that Boston could target Bichette as a replacement if they move on from Alex Bregman, the Sox suddenly look like a serious threat. They’ve got the financial power, the motivation, and a roster setup that could make a persuasive case.

“Retaining free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman is a priority for the Boston Red Sox. But some with the club view Bo Bichette, previously a division rival with the Toronto Blue Jays, as an intriguing alternative,” Insiders Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon report via The Athletic.

The Blue Jays’ rumored ambition of keeping Bichette in the loop as they pursue Kyle Tucker has started to get red-lighted. Hint:  The Red Sox!

So what’s really happening in Boston?

Well, from all indications, Alex Bregman is still their top target and understandably so. It’s hard to replace his combination of offense, defense, and leadership. But the Red Sox don’t seem eager to hand out the kind of long-term, high-AAV contract Bregman is looking for. And because of that, Bregman is exploring other options, while the Sox are doing their homework on potential alternatives.

Enter Bo Bichette. He’ll be 28 in March, and while he may not bring the same veteran presence Bregman does, he’s four years younger, and his offensive production over the past six seasons is almost identical. Notably, Bichette’s wRC+ sits at 121, Bregman’s at 124. Moreover, Bichette has always thrived at Fenway with a .329 average and .907 OPS in 157 plate appearances!!!

Also, what really tilts things in Boston’s favor is the projected price tag. Both Bichette and Bregman are expected to land deals in the $200 million range. So if the Red Sox already have that kind of money earmarked for Bregman, sliding it over to Bichette wouldn’t be a problem.

And just like that, Toronto’s slow-play approach with Bichette is starting to look riskier by the day.

It’s still not the endgame between the Jays and Bichette

As teams like the Yankees and Red Sox fight for a shot at Bo Bichette, the Blue Jays aren’t exactly fading into the background. In fact, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman, some suitors, including the Yankees, could end up bowing out. That surely amps up the chances for the Jays.

Reportedly, Toronto is making a serious push for Kyle Tucker, who could cost around $400 million, which is a massive number for a team that already committed $210 million to Dylan Cease.

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So if the Jays decide they can’t take on another mega deal, circling back to Bichette for something under $200 million becomes their next-best move. Even better for them, if the Yankees, usually one of the league’s biggest spenders, step aside, Bichette’s market could cool off and drive his price down even further.

So, at this point, it’s anyone’s guess how this plays out. But it’s shaping up to be a showdown between the Red Sox and Blue Jays to see who ends up landing Bichette.