Merrifield: Blue Jays, Bichette had 'tainted' relationship

Former Blue Jays player Whit Merrifield didn't expect ex-teammate Bo Bichette to return to Toronto this offseason because he believes the two sides had a strained relationship.

"I know for a fact Bo loves Toronto, loves the Jays, loves the city, loves the fans there. I also know that there was some stuff along the way that happened with Bo and the coaching staff," Merrifield said on his 6ix inning stretch podcast.

"There was some stuff that went on with Bo and the Jays as far as the front office and coaching staff that maybe tainted that relationship a little bit. I don't know how negotiations went, don't know how involved Toronto was in bringing Bo back. I know they probably tried a little bit for the city's sake, but I think it was probably inevitable a little bit that they ended up parting ways."

Bichette signed a three-year, $126-million deal with the New York Mets last week after spending all seven of his big-league seasons in Toronto.

The infielder expressed a desire to remain in Toronto, but said at his introductory press conference with the Mets on Wednesday that signing with New York was a decision he needed to make.

"I wasn't really surprised he didn't go back to Toronto. I really would have been more surprised if he would have been back in Toronto just from some of the stuff that happened along the way" said Merrifield, who competed alongside Bichette on the Blue Jays in 2022 and 2023.

"It's not that I think that they ended on bad terms, but I just think it was probably best for both parties that he ended up somewhere else."