Everyone knew it was coming.
But knowing doesnāt make it easier when it finally happens.
Bo Bichette is gone. Heās a New York Met now. The jersey has changed, the press releases have been filed, and the front office has already moved on to the familiar language of ānext man up.ā

Inside the clubhouse, though, it doesnāt feel that clean.
Davis Schneider didnāt try to clean it up.
When asked about Bichetteās departure, Schneider didnāt hide behind clichĆ©s or organizational optimism. He didnāt dress the moment up as opportunity or evolution. He said the one thing that fans, teammates, and probably the room itself had been avoiding.

āItās going to be weird for sure.ā
That wordāweirdādid more damage than any headline.
Because weird isnāt strategic. Weird isnāt temporary. Weird is what happens when a presence disappears and everyone realizes how much it anchored the room.
Schneiderās honesty landed hard because it wasnāt rehearsed. He spoke as someone who had watched Bichette work from the inside, day after day, since his 2019 debut. Not as a star watching another starābut as a grinder recognizing another grinder.

āHeās been one of the best hitters ever since he debuted,ā Schneider said. āItās not just luck or talent. He puts in the work.ā
That line matters.
In a league obsessed with metrics and contract value, Schneider pointed to something harder to measure: credibility. Bichette didnāt just produce numbersāhe set a standard. The kind that shows up early, stays late, and quietly tells everyone else whatās acceptable.

Thatās the part that stings the most.
In 2025, even while fighting through injuries, Bichette hit .311 with 18 home runs. One of themāa World Series blast that instantly entered Blue Jays loreāfelt like a signature moment. Not just because of the timing, but because it felt inevitable. Bo showing up when it mattered was never a surprise.
Now, that inevitability belongs to Queens.

For Davis Schneider, the loss hits from a different angle. Drafted in the 28th round in 2017, nothing in his career has been handed to him. Every at-bat has been earned. Every roster spot has been defended.
In 2025, he posted a .797 OPS with 11 home runsāproof that he belongs at this level. But he also understands something that spreadsheets canāt capture.
The room changes when certain people leave.

Bichette wasnāt just a shortstop. He was a tone-setter. Someone whose presence quietly told the rest of the roster how serious the job was supposed to be. When he spoke, people listenedānot because of volume, but because of consistency.
That kind of leadership doesnāt transfer automatically.
The Blue Jays can talk about turning the page. They can promote internal competition. They can highlight depth charts and development timelines. All of that is necessary.
None of it replaces a brother.
Schneiderās comments didnāt undermine the teamās directionāthey humanized it. He acknowledged the loss without pretending it didnāt hurt. And in doing so, he confirmed what fans already felt: this isnāt just a roster move.
Itās an emotional reset.
Now, the weight shifts. It falls on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, and players like Schneider himself to keep the standard alive without the person who embodied it most consistently.
Thatās not impossible. But it is different.
The āweirdnessā Schneider described is the sound of a new era settling in. An era where memory still lingers while expectations refuse to wait.
Itās okay to miss Bo.
The Blue Jays donāt have the luxury of pretending otherwise.
The jersey may be gone. The standard isnāt.
And how this team carries that absence will define more than the 2026 seasonāit will define who they are without No. 11 in the room.
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