TORONTO -- Bo Bichette has declined his qualifying offer from the Blue Jays, a long-expected formality from one of the top free agents in baseball.

The one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer was never considered an option for Bichette, who now hits the open market at 27 years old after an impressive bounceback season and his three-run home run off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series.

If Bichette signs with another organization, the Blue Jays will receive Draft compensation. That would hardly take the edge off a loss like Bichette, who will remain one of their top priorities this offseason.

For what it’s worth, Bichette has said for years that he wants to play the rest of his career in Toronto, chasing championships with his longtime friend and co-star Vladimir Guerre

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