Left for dead after a heartbreaking, 18-inning loss in Game 3 of the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays simply shrugged it off and kept on trucking less than 24 hours later. The offense once again wore down one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star pitchers (this time Shohei Ohtani), then exploded against L.A.’s bullpen to turn a tight game into a comfortable 6-2 win. The series is now all square once again, and the Blue Jays have wrenched back home-field advantage with action shifting back to Rogers Centre for Games 6 and (if necessary) 7 this weekend.
The heroes for Toronto were many, but the list has to start with Shane Bieber, who delivered the best start of his postseason so far with 5.1 innings of one-run ball. Both Bo Bichette and Ty France came through with big swings in the Jays’ four-run seventh, while Chris Bassitt came on for two clean innings of relief to make sure the Dodgers had no chance of staging another late-inning comeback.
Beyond their roles in Game 4, there’s another thing that quartet has in common: They’re all set to become free agents once this World Series ends. And while Jays fans would no doubt love to have them all back next year, that’s simply not how the open market works these days. Which of these key contributors does Toronto have the best shot at retaining? Let’s break it down.
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Most likely: RHP Shane Bieber
After the way he pitched in Game 4 against the Dodgers, it feels like a virtual lock that Bieber will decline his $16 million player option for 2026 and hit free agency. He figures to have plenty of suitors as well, looking more and more like his old self the farther away he gets from last year’s elbow surgery. Still, there’s reason to believe that a reunion in Toronto would make sense for both sides.
For starters, the Blue Jays are going to need starting pitching this winter: Even if Bieber sticks around, Bassitt and Max Scherzer are set to hit the open market, while Kevin Gausman will be a free agent next offseason and Jose Berrios is getting harder and harder to trust. Don’t be surprised if Toronto makes a run at one of the biggest names available, someone like Framber Valdez. But there’s room for multiple additions, and Bieber’s injury history might be enough to tamp down his market — or convince him that a shorter-term deal is best to rebuild his value and reenter free agency in a year or two.
The Blue Jays acquired Bieber for a reason, and it’s hard to imagine they’d be in this position now without him; heck they may not have even won the AL East. Unless another team is willing to blow the righty away with an offer, he might be inclined to return to a place he’s just had success in hopes of cashing in later.
SS Bo Bichette
If I had to choose between the Blue Jays and the field for Bichette this winter, I’d lean toward the field. There are just so few middle-infield options available — even if Bichette probably shouldn’t be a middle infielder at this point in his career — much less ones who bring his sort of upside at the plate. Teams like the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves (run by former Toronto exec Alex Anthopoulos) and even the Los Angeles Angels (whose GM, Perry Minasian, was a scout with the Jays when Bichette was drafted) will have the means and the motivation to go big here, and Ross Atkins has other pressing needs to fill.
Still, I hardly think it’s a foregone conclusion. This is the only organization Bichette has ever known, after all, and while there seemed to be some hard feelings over the breakdown in extension talks this spring — while his homegrown teammate, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., got handed a $500 million bag — perhaps some time and a World Series run will heal all wounds. And there are enough question marks about both Bichette’s profile (particularly his defense) and a lack of other potential suitors for me to leave the door open to a return to Toronto. All it takes is one team to get aggressive, though, and star-level hitters at premium positions still in their 20s don’t become available all that often.
RHP Chris Bassitt
Bassitt has pitched himself into Blue Jays lore no matter what, both for his years as a rotation stalwart and his recent turn as a surprisingly effective reliever for a beleaguered Toronto bullpen. Unfortunately, though, I think the time has come for the two sides to go their separate ways this offseason.
Not because of any bad blood, or because the Jays couldn’t use Bassitt around next year. But he’ll be 37 in February, and while he’s defied Father Time well enough so far, there are some signs of decline creeping in. He’ll almost certainly want to be treated as a full-time starter in free agency, and I just think the Blue Jays will need to aim a bit higher given the questions surrounding their rotation moving forward. Maybe Bassitt will still be there by the time Atkins gets to filling in the back end of his starting picture, but given his consistently solid production, I’m willing to bet that another pitching-needy team (read: just about all of them) will make him a healthy offer that Toronto can’t match in the moment.
Least likely: INF Ty France
This one feels like a foregone conclusion; heck, despite his clutch hitting on Tuesday night, I’m willing to bet most Blue Jays fans don’t even want France back in 2026. Acquired as a bench piece from Minnesota at the trade deadline, the veteran has struggled to find regular playing time — and when he has gotten opportunities, he’s failed to take advantage, posting a .693 OPS in the regular season with Toronto and recording one hit in four plate appearances so far in October.
France’s athletic limitations render him a first baseman/DH only at this point, and there simply isn’t a lot of demand for righty bench bats who don’t bring defensive versatility. It’ll be a struggle for France to latch onto a big-league roster again this winter, and certainly not one with competitive ambitions like Toronto.
