Bo Bichette is telling interested teams he’s willing to sign as a second baseman, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. That’s not particularly surprising but it opens up his market.
Bichette’s defensive fitness has been the biggest question mark of his free agency process. He played 6184 regular season innings, all at shortstop. Public metrics have not looked good in his career. Statcast rated Bichette as an average or worst defender for nearly his entire career. Defensive Runs Saved were the best in his first few seasons but have redshirted him in three of the last four years. Going back to 2023, he is fifth from the bottom with a -15 Outs Above Average. DRS is tied for eighth best with a score of -11.
It’s a range issue rather than any concern about his hands. He has committed just 11 errors over the past three years, not many for a player who has logged nearly 3000 innings in the most sought-after position in the infield. He is still tied for ninth with 16 throwing errors in that stretch. He ranks in the middle of the pack with arm strength and is a below-average runner with good mobility. Statcast has him worse on balls hit by right-handed hitters, which could cut him down to the other side of the diamond.
Bichette could play average second base or better. He played in 30 games there in the minor leagues and had five hits during that year’s World Series. This was his first game back after missing six weeks with a sprained left knee. Bichette was physically challenged and would have been the designated hitter if the Blue Jays didn’t have one George Springer. Toronto needed to make room for Bichette to get his bat back in the lineup, but they went ahead Andrés Giménez in a short time.
[Related: The Best Fits For Bichette]
Giménez is a superior defender even if Bichette is fully healthy. Very few midfielders can match Bichette on the other side of the ball. He is a .294/.337/.469 hitter who has been an above-average hitter in every season except 2024. He had a spectacular performance in the World Series, collecting eight hits (including a monster Game 7 home run Shohei Ohtani) despite knee pain.
There aren’t many teams looking for an upgrade at shortstop. The Padres, Rays, Guardians, Brewers, Marlins and Pirates can improve the situation. None of them will meet the potential $200MM+ asking price. Toronto would be better suited with Giménez at shortstop and Bichette at second base, though GM Ross Atkins suggested earlier in the season that they would be willing to keep their old infield system if Bichette wants to stick at shortstop. Other than the Jays, the Yankees and Tigers may have been the only teams that would have offered Bichette a big contract to play shortstop.
Interest as a second baseman could bring in teams like the Giants, Angels, Red Sox and Dodgers. It makes sense to hear groups exiting or expanding the market. Last season’s free agent shortstop, Willy Adamsexpressed a similar willingness to go to second or third base. He ended up staying in his usual spot with the Giants but commanded a seven-year contract despite San Francisco being the only expensive club in need of a shortstop.
