For much of the 2025 season, it's looked as though Bo Bichette will be the only notable shortstop in free agency -- and it's been plenty fair to debate whether he's a shortstop at all. The 27-year-old has bounced back -- and then some -- at the plate, largely quieting concerns about his anemic performance with the bat in an injury-ruined 2024 season that saw him slash just .225/.277/.322 with four homers in 81 games. But whatever good will Bichette has regained with a resurgent performance in the batter's box has at least partially been offset by a career-worst year with the glove -- and now yet another lower-half injury.
Elsewhere in free agency, what once looked like an otherwise-barren class has now begun to show some potential upside. Narratives surrounding several potential free agents have begun to shift -- enough that it bears taking a lengthier look at what the winter might bring.
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Giants need to sign Bo Bichette to play 2B. Giants lineup if they sign Bichette:
CF: Lee
2B: Bichette
1B: Devers
LF: Ramos
SS: Adames
DH: Eldridge
3B: Chapman
RF: Gilbert/Encarnacion
C: Bailey
Bench:
SS/2B – Christian Koss
C – Jesús Rodríguez (Prospect from Doval Trade)
OF – Jerar Encarnacion/Drew Gilbert
3B/2B/1B – Schmitt
I think a hitter that can get 175 hits can def. help this lineup up. Starting Pitching and Bullpen may seem more of a priority this offseason.
Would be a giants style move. I can see it.
Bichettes bat would not play well in San Francisco
@sad: Why wouldn’t it? He’s shown little power this season, but makes consistent contact. He’d be a high average hitting doubles machine in that park.
Also, Bichette and Chapman became good friends in Toronto so there may be a desire to go there if the Jays can’t get him across the line.
He doesn’t give a it about Chapman. He’ll go wherever he can make the most $
Calling Bo Bichette a shortstop is a bit of a stretch.
More than a bit
His defense is horrendous. He doesn’t belong anywhere but second.
Are the defense worse than Mookie Betts first year at SS (2024)?
Since when was Mookie Betts is a bad shortstop???
Story i think can opt out
Story will not have a broad market. He has benefitted from two ballparks (Coors and Fenway) that particularly suit his hitting, and his home/road splits are dramatic. Even in his best seasons (2018, 6.3 WAR; 2019, 6.9 WAR), he was a below average hitter on the road. This season his BABIP is almost 100 points higher at Fenway than on the road. Teams with sound analytics will not go for a long term deal for a 33 year=old Story who would play most of his 162 games away from Coors and Fenway.
So here’s a scenario. Yankees land Story to get him away from Boston, then trade Volpe. Outlandish?
He’ll never get the AAV the RS are giving him, but I can see a $20M/year contract. It depends on how many years he thinks he can get. I wouldn’t sign him, but there is usually a GM that thinks he is smarter than everyone else.
There is also always a random commenter who thinks he’s better than the pros