I Asked AI To Tell Me When Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker Will Sign

The Blue Jays are in the thick of the offseason rumour mill, supposedly chasing both Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker. Fans are refreshing their social feeds like they're life-support machines. So, I asked four AI platforms to tell me when and where these stars will sign. The results? A comedy of contradictions.

MetaAI basically shrugged and said, “Let’s wait and see.” Thanks, Meta. Groundbreaking stuff. It did toss out a Bichette-to-Jays scenario for seven years and $210 million (the exact terms of Dylan Cease's contract), and Tucker juggling a short-term Dodgers deal versus a 10-year Blue Jays mega-contract. I read this as he’ll sign somewhere, sometime, for a lot of money. Riveting stuff. Thanks, Meta.

After some additional prompts to ChatGPT, it boldly predicted Tucker would sign first, later this month or early January, maybe with the Jays or Yankees. Bichette? Somewhere between $180-225 million over seven or eight years. Basically, what every human analyst has been saying for months. Insight level was slightly ahead of a fortune cookie. (Although, as a product, offseason Blue Jays fortune cookies might do well, especially after a season like last year.)

Also needing a bit more prodding, Copilot went full crystal ball. It gave exact dates. Tucker signs December 23 with the Jays, Bichette January 8 with the Yankees. It even threw in a Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade rumour for spice. If this happens, Copilot deserves a plaque, or at least a shot at becoming the GM for the White Sox or Rockies. If not, well, it’ll just say “data changed.”

Grok AI was the least impressive of all the platforms. It thought Tucker still played for the Astros (he was traded to the Cubs in 2024). Oops. It predicted Tucker would sign February 1 for $180 million and Bichette January 15 for $150 million. Bargain-bin prices compared to all the other predictions.

Does AI have more insight than human analysts or MLB GMs? The short answer is no. AI is regurgitating public rumours and projections, while actual GMs are negotiating behind closed doors with real budgets, egos, and spreadsheets. AI can’t read the room, gauge a player’s loyalty, or know if an owner woke up feeling generous. It’s guessing. Sometimes confidently, sometimes hilariously incorrectly.

Most analysts consider Tucker to be the top free agent on the market. Lots of teams have expressed interest outside the Jays, Dodgers and Yankees. The Mets and Giants are also considered potential suitors. Our friends in the AI world didn’t really take any of those outside teams seriously.

Aside from the Mets, the same teams have been rumoured to be part of the Bichette sweepstakes. After a Zoom call earlier this month with Bichette, the Red Sox remain in the hunt. There are rumours that the Mariners and Rangers have also reached out.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan has suggested that the Jays could still land both Tucker and Bichette, but that seems highly unlikely considering the amount of spending they have committed to already.

Most market predictions point to the majority of free agents signing by early January, giving some buffer room before pitchers and catchers report. Based on past seasons, sometimes more complex negotiations extend into February. The odds are that both Bichette and Tucker are waiting to see how the league responds to the first big signing. Neither wants to be first.

If another team signs Tucker, then the Jays will pivot and pursue Bichette a bit harder, probably increasing their offer as they look to lock him up.

Once both sign, others will follow suit. Teams that were in the hunt will adjust and fill voids through different free agents or trades. The list of available free agents remains long.  

The position player free agents who can put up big wins above replacement (WAR) numbers are few and far between now. Cody Bellinger (7.0 fWAR from 2024-25) and Tucker (8.7 fWAR from 2024-25) are the two biggest names on the outfield free agent board. There has been some talk that the Jays and Yankees are waiting for Tucker’s decision before following up with Bellinger. The Mets and Giants could be some of the front-runners for Bellinger.

Alex Bregman (7.7 fWAR from 2024-25) and Eugenio Suárez (7.6 fWAR from 2024-25) are the biggest names outside of Bichette and the NPB free agents in the infield. Bregman and Suárez are both in their thirties, and have drawn plenty of interest. The Tigers, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox are among those courting Bregman, while Suárez looks destined to head back to the National League, perhaps with the Pirates, although the Red Sox have been linked to him as well.

At the end of the day, AI’s predictions about MLB free agency are entertaining, but they’re hardly gospel. These platforms can crunch numbers, scrape rumours, and spit out contract figures, but they lack the human nuance that drives real negotiations. General managers like Ross Atkins (love him or hate him) aren’t just balancing WAR numbers and payroll. They’re navigating egos, clubhouse chemistry, and ownership whims. AI can’t predict if a player’s spouse prefers Manhattan over Toronto or if a team’s billionaire owner suddenly decides to splurge after a successful weekend in Vegas.

What this experiment really shows is that AI can be good for sparking conversation, but not for setting your betting lines. It’s a tool, not a crystal ball. The fact that one platform suggested Tucker still played for the Astros says it all. Data without context is just noise. Meanwhile, the real decision-makers are working phones, making offers, and playing the long game.

So, will Bichette and Tucker sign with the Blue Jays? Maybe. Will AI ever replace MLB GMs? Not a chance. Until then, enjoy the speculation, laugh at the algorithms, and remember that baseball’s biggest moves are still made by humans, not AI.