There were issues between Bo Bichette and the Blue Jays, according to Whit Merrifield

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
There were issues between Bo Bichette and the Blue Jays, according to Whit Merrifield
Credit: MLB

Right now, there's a lot of anger among Blue Jays fans. Why are they angry? Because Bo Bichette is gone.

Obviously, we knew it was a possibility. In fact, since 2023, we'd been talking about certain indications that the star would, one day, be on his way out.

Obviously, things haven't changed. The club's fine 2025 season and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s long-term contract didn't exactly tip the scales in favor of the Blue Jays, who nevertheless kept abreast of Bichette's market this winter.

But what happened?

Whit Merrifield, who knows Bichette well because they played together in Toronto, wasn't afraid to assert that “things happened” between the player and the Blue Jays (coaches, executives, etc.) in the past.

Things? In that tone of voice, it clearly means problems.

Whit Merrifield didn't make it sound like a huge chicanery happened. What he is saying is that the shortstop and the club weren't always on the same page, so a change doesn't surprise him after several years.

This is consistent with what has been said for years about a potential departure.

Merrifield believes, however, that his former shortstop loved playing in Toronto and loved his teammates. He also had a great relationship with the Queen City's ball fans over the years.

We can therefore assume that the thanks he asked Hazel Mae to pass on to Blue Jays fans were sincere. The problem wasn't with Toronto fans, who supported him during the World Series, when he was playing injured.

But whatever the reasons for his departure, Blue Jays fans are currently angry to see him in New York. Phillies fans, meanwhile, are angry that he says he absolutely wants to win.

If he wanted to win, he would have chosen the Phillies… or come back to Canada. And that's even though the Mets have moved into fifth gear in recent days in terms of additions and have a better club than last week.

The fact is, Bichette is making a lot of people angry, because fans in smaller markets point out that the amount he signed for ($42 million a year) is unsustainable in most markets.

It's a bit like the case of Kyle Tucker, who will be used as an example in the event of a work stoppage.

And even some Mets fans are concerned that the team's new #19 didn't know what to say when asked about his exit options and his desire to stay with the Mets long-term.

Bichette, in a press conference, turned to his agent for an answer, as if he didn't know the question was coming.

It's understandable that Bichette chose the Mets (who missed the playoffs in 2025 and don't have the best rotation, despite the addition of Freddy Peralta) in part for the money. That's his right, but clearly it comes with criticism from many.

I can't wait to see what's in store for him a year from now.

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This content was created with the help of AI.

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