Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Bo Bichette completely embracing the vicious boos from Mets fans proves the Blue Jays made the brilliant choice to move on.
Watching our former homegrown star (Age 28, Drafted Round 2, 2016 by Toronto) struggle under the massive spotlight of New York brings an unexpected sense of closure.
We spent years defending his aggressive approach at the plate while dreading his eventual plunge into free agency.
When the Mets opened their endless wallet to hand him a staggering three-year, $126 million contract, it felt like a heavy loss for Toronto.
But this disastrous opening weekend in Queens is quickly reminding everyone why investing heavily in a regressing profile is a massive risk.
Hearing him bluntly admit that his at-bats were terrible and that the boos were completely justified is incredibly surreal.
Going 1-for-14 with an astonishing eight strikeouts to start the season is exactly the kind of slump that destroys a hitter's confidence.
The Toronto front office masterfully dodged a financial disaster
Fans are sleeping peacefully knowing that our payroll space was saved for reliable pieces who actually fit the championship window.
Hitting a putrid .071 AVG while striking out in high-leverage spots is a recipe for absolute misery in a ruthless market like New York.
Bichette is trying to learn a brand new position while simultaneously working to replace the production of Pete Alonso.
That is an astronomical amount of pressure to place on a guy who was already showing serious signs of offensive decline last summer.
Avoiding that gigantic financial anchor allows us to confidently build a complete roster around Vladdy for the long haul.
Our current squad is playing fast, inspired baseball, proving definitively that we can thrive without his bat in the lineup.
We will always appreciate the thrilling highlights Bo delivered during his electrifying prime years at the Rogers Centre.
But securing the long-term future of this franchise required making a brutally tough business decision at the exact right time.
At least for right now, it looks like the Blue Jays made the right call this winter.
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Bo Bichette’s rough start in New York gets even worse
Bo Bichette’s rough start in New York gets even worse