That hasn’t stopped them from remaining aggressive at the top of the market, however, and the Jays remain the team that’s been most connected to the winter’s top two free agents.

Bichette, of course, has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays and has not been shy about his desire to remain with Toronto going forward.

If the Jays are only able to land one of the off-season’s top two hitters, then, who would be the better fit for their roster?

Bichette is the familiar pick, and it’s hard to argue with his impact on the team.

A three-run homer off Shohei Ohtani Bichette hit while playing through injury in Game 7 of this year’s World Series nearly made the Jays champions and that was just one piece of the .348/.444/.478 performance he turned in across seven Fall Classic games despite being hobbled on the bases and in the field.

BO BICHETTE 3-RUN HOMER OFF OHTANI IN GAME 7‼️BLUE JAYS ON THE BOARD FIRST 🔥

While an injury-marred and deeply disappointing season for Bichette in 2024 soured some on his overall profile, he’s still turned in a wRC+ of 120 or higher in six of his seven MLB seasons with a career mark of 122.

That he’s done all that while typically playing a generally adequate shortstop is all the more impressive.

For as consistently impressive as Bichette has been when healthy, he was only the third-best hitter on the Jays in 2025.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has, of course, stood head and shoulders above the rest of the team in terms of star power and overall offensive impact, but there have been years where Bichette was outperformed by George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, Brandon Belt, Marcus Semien, and Teoscar Hernandez in the Jays’ lineup over the years.

None of those players come close to matching Bichette’s consistency, but it’s fair to argue that he doesn’t offer the sort of six-plus win upside offered by many of the recent top free agents available.

Tucker is the better overall hitter

Tucker, 28, (29 in January) is a simply a cut above Bichette as a hitter. Tucker’s career 138 wRC+ is four points higher than the mark Bichette posted this year, which was his career-best in a season, outside of his 46-game rookie campaign in 2019.

Since the start of the 2021 season, Tucker has hit .277/.365/.514 with 23.4 fWAR, a greater total than Bichette has accumulated across his entire career.

ALL HAIL KING TUCK 👑 Kyle Tucker has his first home run in the Friendly Confines as a Cub!

Tucker is also a perennial threat to steal 25 to 30 bases, while Bichette has swiped more than 13 bags just once before in his career.

Tucker’s status as a left-handed bat would also make him a strong complement to the Jays’ cache of impressive right-handed hitters, which includes not only Guerrero but also Springer and Kirk.

As perfect as the fit between Tucker and the Jays might seem, however, it’s worth considering the fact that Bichette could prove to be a better long-term investment.

Both have dealt with injuries over the past two years, with 214 games played for Tucker and 220 for Bichette.

With that said, Bichette is a year younger than Tucker and also figures to command the shorter (and cheaper) deal of the two