One of the free agents that people are going to be keeping a close eye on this offseason is Toronto Blue Jays star shortstop Bo Bichette. A two-time All-Star, he is looking to cash in this winter on a lucrative long-term contract.
After a brutal 2024 campaign, he proved that it was just a fluke with how well he performed in 2025. He bounced back in a big way, putting up the kind of numbers the Blue Jays became accustomed to seeing in years prior.
It will be interesting to see the lengths that Toronto goes to bring him back into the fold. His market is one of the more complicated to project. His age and production would hint toward a lucrative offer coming, but there are shortcomings to his game.
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Alas, the Blue Jays are going to face legitimate competition for him in free agency. As shared by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, there are two teams to keep an eye on: the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves.
“It only takes one team to believe, of course, and only two teams to spark a bidding war. Perhaps Toronto, Boston and/or Atlanta goes all-in on Bichette as its plan at shortstop through 2030 and beyond,” he wrote.
There are some major dominoes that would have to fall to trigger either team going all-in on Bichette. Both have starting-caliber shortstops, Trevor Story and Ha-Seong Kim, who possess player options.
Should they decide to hit the open market, both the Red Sox and Braves could pivot to the Blue Jays’ two-time All-Star. However, there would be serious questions about whether he is a long-term answer at shortstop.
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However, that bat certainly plays. He is among the most productive offensive shortstops in baseball, leading the AL in hits in 2022 and 2023. It almost certainly would have occurred a third time this year had he not suffered a knee sprain that has kept him sidelined since Sept. 6.
Despite the injuries, he still finished second in the AL with 181 hits and 41 doubles. Only Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals finished with more, registering 184 and 44.
Bichette will be 28 years old when Opening Day rolls around in 2026, making him an ideal target for a long-term contract. The deal that Willy Adames signed with the San Francisco Giants, which was for seven years and $182 million, will likely be the benchmark he aims for.
It will be interesting to see if any team is willing to meet that price. But things will quickly change if Boston and Atlanta need to aggressively pursue a starting shortstop and they land on Bichette as the player they desire.
It is too bad he wasn’t able to showcase his talent on the bright stage of the MLB postseason stemming from the knee injury suffered more than a month ago.
