The Mets have shipped out Brandon Nimmo, and the Rangers have parted ways with Marcus Semien. But what about the Blue Jays? Remember what their president, Mark Shapiro, said a few days ago? The 2025 World Series runners-up talked big about making major moves this offseason, yet they haven’t really done much so far. And their biggest call still hangs in the air: Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette?

Well, we’ve already looked at some conflicting opinions about which direction they should go. But this time the perspective comes from a broadcaster for the Vancouver Canadians, the Jays’ High-A affiliate. That makes a lot more connected to how the organization itself might be viewing the situation, and could offer real insight into what Toronto is thinking.

“The Blue Jays are currently seen as ‘front-runners’ for perhaps the biggest free agent on the market, outfielder Kyle Tucker… When you take emotion out of the equation, there are certainly some red flags with Bichette’s future that should give teams pause with giving him a long-term contract,” Chris Georges said. 

No, the above statement is not at all surprising, as the Jays are making efforts to land Tucker, but they have Bo Bichette in between. And Georges just picked the best out of two.

Let’s start with the offense. The Blue Jays already put up a dominant hitting season, so anything more at this point would almost be a bonus. Still, Tucker brings something you can’t ignore: consistency. Reportedly, over the five seasons leading up to 2025, his fWAR barely budged — 4.9, 4.9, 4.9, 4.2, 4.5!

Bichette, on the other hand, has reached those highs before… His 4.9 WAR in 2021 matches Tucker’s best, and he followed it with a 4.8 in 2022. But the real red flag is the 0.3 WAR he put up in 2024. Still, can we really toss aside the fact that he hit .311 this season and came up huge during the World Series run?

Now, defensively, the edge goes to Tucker again, especially with Bichette grading out as the worst defensive shortstop in baseball in 2025 with a -13.0 mark. But if you zoom out over the last four years, the picture flips… Bichette comes in at +8.9 in defensive value, while Tucker sits at -11.9.

And then there’s the money.

Kyle Tucker is projected to command something around $400 million, while Bichette could be closer to $200 million. If you’re looking strictly at offensive skill, Tucker’s the safer pick. But once you factor in defense, cost, and everything else, Bichette stays firmly in the conversation. Still, as per Georges, the defensive uncertainty around Bichette is the reason the Jays shouldn’t go with him.

The Blue Jays got a few other options to look at

What if the Blue Jays decide not to choose between the two at all? Then, they might still have a great fallback option in Cody Bellinger, someone who can lead from multiple positions.

Notably, Bellinger is coming off a strong 2025 season with the Yankees, hitting 29 HRs while keeping his strikeout rate to just 13.7%. And even better for Toronto, he’s projected to land around $140 million over five years… That’s far cheaper than the massive deals expected for Tucker or Bichette, though still a serious investment.

Also, what makes Bellinger especially appealing is his versatility. He can play all three outfield spots plus first base, giving the manager plenty of flexibility. His defensive numbers are solid, too, as he even ranked as one of the top center fielders in baseball back in 2022. So, that kind of glove helps cushion the impact of any cold stretches at the plate.

Hence, even if Tucker or Bichette never make their way to Toronto, the Blue Jays could still come out ahead with Bellinger sitting there in free agency.