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Bo Bichette could soon become one of the more interesting free agents to follow in recent Major League Baseball memory.
On one hand, Bichette is just 27 years old, consistently ranks at the top of the hits and batting average leaderboards, and already has two All-Star selections to his name. On the other hand, his defense at shortstop is highly questionable for the long haul, and he was just forced to sit out six weeks of games that could have boosted his stock heading to the open market.
Meanwhile, with the Blue Jays in their first World Series since 1993, Bichette has moved to second base for the first time since he was a minor-leaguer in 2019, which could foretell a more permanent swap when he signs his new deal.
Reasonable minds could differ on what Bichette’s role should be moving forward and what he should be paid. But the eventual answer to that second question is going to have league-wide ripple effects.
On Wednesday, CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson gave Bichette an optimistic contract projection: seven years, $189 million, thanks to a pair of comparable contracts signed by shortstops who fit entirely different molds.
“In Bichette’s case, there are no shortage of recent contracts inked by shortstops in their late 20s,” Anderson wrote. “Two in particular feel relevant here: the seven-year, $177 million pact Dansby Swanson signed with the Chicago Cubs in December 2022, and the seven-year, $182 million agreement Willy Adames reached last winter with the San Francisco Giants.
“In both cases, you’re talking about a lengthy agreement that paid between $25 million and $26 million annually. Bichette’s defense may cause some teams to take pause, but it’s probably fair to assume that he’ll find a suitor willing to fork over something like seven years, $189 million.”
If Bichette is looking for the maximum number of years, it’s hard to say which teams will get involved. The Blue Jays love his lineup presence, but they’ve also proved for most of the postseason that they don’t need him at shortstop. Moving to second or third base could increase the number of teams in play, but decrease the numbers at the front of his paycheck.
The Blue Jays likely won’t have an easy time deciding what Bichette is worth to them moving forward. If it’s a seven-year commitment, they’ll be limiting themselves in terms of other moves, but it may be worthwhile to keep most of the band together in the lineup.
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