New Bo Bichette free agency update opens the door for Jed Hoyer and the Cubs

When the offseason opened, most seemed to believe that the Toronto Blue Jays would find a way to keep homegrown star Bo Bichette in the fold long-term. But after the team made major expenditures for Dylan Cease and, perhaps more importantly, Kazuma Okamoto, that idea isn't near as bullet-proof as it once seemed.

In an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast Tuesday, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal described the odds of Bichette returning to the Blue Jays as 'increasingly unlikely'. Given the Chicago Cubs' quiet offseason, one can't help but hope that Jed Hoyer seizes this opportunity and seriously explores bringing the 27-year-old into the fold long-term.

The fit, admittedly, isn't perfect. Alex Bregman, at least in the short-term makes more sense for the Cubs, a team that could stand to upgrade at the hot corner. But with Nico Hoerner trade rumors continuing to swirl, it's at least conceivable that Chicago could swap their Gold Glove second baseman for Bichette, leveraging Hoerner in a trade to shore up the front of the rotation.

That prospective fit makes even more sense considering a new report from ESPN's Buster Olney, suggesting the market seems to view Bichette as a second baseman, rather than a shortstop, long-term.

“A lot of teams are interested in Bichette, but there seems to be a wide variation in what they’re willing to pay a player who is viewed by many evaluators as a future second baseman, rather than a shortstop.

Bo Bichette, Nico Hoerner appear to be on a collision course this winter

Last season with Toronto, Bichette missed the last month of the regular season and all of the postseason before returning in the World Series to slash .348/.444/.478. Over the last three years, though, Hoerner has been the better overall player (at least in terms of bWAR), with Bichette really only outperforming him in the power department.

What I'd like to see the Cubs do - if they're actually going to make a big free-agent splash in the position player department - is sign Bregman, push Matt Shaw into a utility role and then seriously work on an extension with Hoerner. He's one of the longest-tenured Cubs, coming off another Gold Glove-winning season in which he narrowly missed winning the NL batting title.

Whether ownership and the front office like to admit it, the Cubs have the means to sign Bregman, look at exploring Hoerner and use a top-heavy farm system to acquire a front-end starting pitcher. Let's hope this offseason is a tale of two halves because with just over two months until spring training, it's been abysmally quiet on the North Side.