Bo Bichette era with Toronto Blue Jays is officially over

The Bo Bichette era in Toronto has come to an end. 

Not only did the Toronto Blue Jays lose out on the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, but now, their second-round pick from the 2016 draft has departed for another organization.

The New York Mets, who were the other runners-up for Tucker, have signed Bichette to a three-year deal worth $126 million.

Bichette was largely expected to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, so the Friday report is a tad surprising.

The 27-year-old recently met with the Phillies and was impressed by the visit. Even after the Jays lost out on Tucker, multiple baseball insiders still expected him to sign with Philly.

While the Jays still have a formidable roster, losing out on a homegrown player who excelled for the organization hurts.

In five full seasons with Toronto, Bichette finished top-20 in MVP voting on four occasions. It looked like he and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were finally going to deliver on their prospect hype for the Jays this season as the team rocketed up the standings.

Of course, Toronto accomplished most of its playoff success while the Orlando, Florida native was injured. Bichette did return for the World Series, where he smashed one of the most epic home runs in Blue Jays history.

After finishing as World Series runners-up, the Jays were reported to be hard after three of the top free agents: Tucker, Bichette, and, to a lesser extent, Alex Bregman.

All three have now signed with other organizations.

Jays GM Ross Atkins did try to temper expectations earlier this month during the introductory press conference with Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto.

"The one thing I'll add is additions…will start to cut away playing time from players that are very good MLB players," Atkins told the media.

Still, that didn't stop Toronto from reportedly pursuing top players like Tucker and Bichette.

Toronto fans will get their first live look at Bichette in another uniform on Monday, June 29, when the New York Mets make their first visit of the 2026 season to Rogers Centre.