Bichette: Blue Jays were in touch all offseason, but deal didn't pan out

Bo Bichette was introduced as the newest member of the New York Mets on Wednesday, but there was a chance he could have re-signed with the Toronto Blue Jays had things gone differently.

"Me and the Blue Jays were in touch all offseason," Bichette told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. "They showed interest, but at the end of the day, it just became clear for me that this was the decision that I needed to make."

Bichette signed a three-year, $126-million deal to play third base for the Mets after publicly expressing a desire to remain with the Blue Jays. The 27-year-old, who spent the first seven years of his big-league career in Toronto, said negotiations with the Jays ultimately "didn't pan out."

The infielder was reportedly seeking a $300-million deal in free agency and turned down a seven-year, $200-million offer from the Philadelphia Phillies. The Blue Jays weren't reported to have made Bichette an offer in that range this offseason. Instead, they spent $353 million to improve their rotation, bullpen, and lineup depth by adding Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Tyler Rogers, and Kazuma Okamoto and re-signing Shane Bieber.

Bichette had previously said his "ultimate goal" was to play his entire career with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and win a championship with the Jays. They came through Toronto's minor-league system together and both made their MLB debuts in 2019.

"Vladdy is my brother for life. A friend for life. Will always love him. Value our friendship," Bichette said.

Bichette also thanked Blue Jays fans for their support throughout his career, specifically mentioning his first at-bat in the World Series when he was returning from a knee injury.

"Thank you for all of the support. You guys mean a lot to me. Toronto will always be my heart, and I guess I'll see you guys in June," he said.