Bo Bichette's slow start backs Blue Jays call

That is not about rewriting his Toronto years. Bichette was a big part of the Blue Jays' rise, and he was still a force in 2025 when he hit .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI.

But this story is about right now. Bichette signed a 3-year, $126 million deal with the Mets in January, and the early return has been rough.

Through 68 at-bats, Bichette is slashing .235/.284/.309 with 1 home run. Those are not star-level numbers, and the quality of the at-bats has looked jumpy at times.

The bigger issue may be under the surface. A report highlighted scout concern that Bichette still does not look fully healthy on the bases and may still be nursing the PCL sprain in his left knee from late last season.

That part matters to Toronto. The Blue Jays lived through the original injury, and MLB.com reported in September that Bichette was still working back from that left knee sprain with no firm return date.

He was back for the postseason, but even then his mobility was not all the way there. Newsday noted Bichette's movement was limited after he returned, and Toronto had to use him at DH as well as in the infield.

This is where the Blue Jays start to look justified. Letting a franchise shortstop walk always stings, but locking into a major deal with a player carrying a fresh knee question would have brought real risk.

That risk gets harder to ignore when the player is already adjusting to a new position. The Mets signed Bichette expecting him to move from shortstop to third base, which adds another layer when lower-body health is part of the conversation.

There is still time for Bichette to turn it around. His expected numbers are better than the raw line, with a .307 xwOBA and a .274 xBA, so this is not a total collapse at the plate.

Still, the Blue Jays did not owe him a leap of faith. They had just seen the knee sprain derail the finish of his Toronto run, and now the early Mets version is giving them even more reason to feel good about that restraint.

That does not erase what Bichette meant in Toronto. It does mean the front office read the risk correctly.

For the Blue Jays, that is the takeaway. Bo Bichette still has enough bat speed to get hot, but with the slow start, the knee concern, and the contract now sitting in New York, Toronto's choice looks a lot easier to defend today than it did in January.