The Raptors just handed Toronto sports fans a fresh reminder that reunions do happen.
On Jun. 30, the team brought back Kawhi Leonard in a deal that sent Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple draft picks the other way. For a city that still remembers Leonard’s run to the 2019 NBA title, it landed like a jolt. He was central to the Raptors winning their first and only championship, and his Game 7 buzzer beater against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals remains one of the most unforgettable moments in franchise history.
That kind of return has a way of making other fan bases look up and wonder if their own old stars could someday come back. For Blue Jays fans, that means Bo Bichette.
Bichette is in Toronto this week with the New York Mets for the first time since Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, and the emotions around his return have been impossible to miss. He left the Blue Jays in the offseason after falling just short of helping deliver a World Series title to Canada, and his three-run home run in that Game 7 against the LA Dodgers only added to the sense of what might have been.
Ahead of the series opener between the Mets and Blue Jays on Monday, Jun. 29, Bichette spoke about his time in Toronto, his relationship with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and more. The interview was heavy with emotion, and he was fighting back tears for most of it.
"We went through it all together."
Bo Bichette speaks on his relationship with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. pic.twitter.com/orLygZbaDf
- Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 29, 2026
A Toronto return for Bichette is not impossible, either. His Mets contract runs three years and includes opt-outs after the first and second year.
The player option is worth $55 million a year, a figure that would make him one of the highest-paid players in the sport. Even with the relationship between Bichette and the Blue Jays, that kind of money would be tough for Toronto to match.
There’s also the looming renegotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreeement, with a work stoppage expected to be part of the conversation and a salary cap among the biggest issues. That could make it harder for Bichette to see a payday like that again.
Still, the fit is easy to understand. The Blue Jays need a bat that can bring power and deliver with runners in scoring position, and Bichette has shown he can do both.
After a slow start with the Mets, he has heated up over the last several weeks. Since May 18, he’s hitting .301/.337/.519 with eight home runs, a .218 ISO, a .336 BABIP and a 137 wRC+.
Since the beginning of May, he’s been even better with runners in scoring position, batting .300/.392/.525, driving in 23 runs and striking out only five times in 40 at-bats. He’s been putting the ball in play and producing in an area where the current Blue Jays have struggled all year.
The Mets also appear to be drifting toward seller status ahead of the trade deadline, especially after firing their manager a few days ago. If they decide to move money, the Blue Jays might not need to give up much in prospect capital if they take on all of Bichette’s salary, including the pending player options. And if New York is willing to absorb part of his 2026 salary, Toronto has some higher-level prospects that could help the Mets as soon as next season.
It may be nothing more than a dream right now, but Leonard’s return is enough to keep the idea alive. If Toronto can get a franchise icon back once, Blue Jays fans have every reason to wonder whether Bo Bichette could be next.
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Runs have been hard to come by, especially with men in scoring position, and that has turned even winnable nights at the ballpark into frustration. With fewer than 80 games left, the pressure is not just about stopping the skid, it is about forcing the front office to decide whether this group is still close enough to justify buying at the trade deadline or whether the slide has already changed the conversation. [Read more 🡒]