Is Bo Bichette Going to Get Paid at Shortstop or Second Base?
It's inevitable that Bo Bichette is going to receive a major payday in the coming offseason. The only question is what position he'll play at.
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Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is on the cusp of a massive payday, as his first stint of free agency eligibility kicks in at the end of the 2025 season. He’s been one of the league’s top hitters, but might he be more versatile in consideration for playing second base? Despite the fact that Bichette has never played the position at the MLB level, he could (and to some, should) be the latest star shortstop to make the switch.
Over the last half-decade or so, many MLB stars have shifted to different defensive positions on the field in order to make themselves versatile – and in turn, valuable – for current or potential future teams. Carlos Correa has moved to third base, Marcus Semien has moved to second base, and Mookie Betts has even converted to a primary shortstop this season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bichette’s defense has never been his strong suit, so he might end up having to open up to a move to the other side of the infield.
All stats updated prior to games on Thursday, August 28
Strong Contract Year Performance
The 2025 campaign has been Bichette’s seventh in MLB and it’s his last year before hitting the open market. He’s had what might end up being a career year in many ways and looks primed to get a huge deal this offseason. The Blue Jays were able to lock up his long-time teammate through the minor leagues and in MLB in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (14 years, $500M), but Bichette and the Jays have had no such luck in reaching an agreement.
Bichette is slashing .307/.350/.470 with 3.3 fWAR to go alongside 16 home runs and 86 RBI over 131 games this season. His 40 doubles are second in all of MLB behind Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals (41) and he leads the entire league in hits with 169. Witt is the next closest American League player in hits this year and he sits at 155, so Bichette’s just been on a different level. Since the All-Star break in July, his numbers are absolutely ridiculous: .367/.415/.538 with 4 home runs, 33 RBI, and 15 doubles in just 38 games.
Bichette is a big reason why the Toronto Blue Jays have been so successful this year, being the fourth-best Blue Jay in fWAR and having by-far the most at-bats of any Blue Jay this year. He ranks in the top 20% of qualified hitters in expected batting average (.308), hard-hit rate (48.9%), whiff rate (18.2%), and strikeout rate (14.4%). Not only has Bichette been an incredible hitter throughout the entire season, but he’s stepped it up in the clutch situations and is one of the league’s best at driving in runners.
With runners in scoring position this season, Bichette leads all of MLB with a .393 batting average and he’s one of four hitters in MLB with at least 70 RBI with runners in scoring position (Alonso, Perdomo, Pasquantino). He’s the only hitter in the AL with less than 20 home runs and more than 80 RBI this season, and this is not a testament to a perceived lack of power at the plate, but rather his innate ability to put the bat on the ball when runners are already on base.
He’s been a staple in Toronto’s lineup for quite some time, garnering MVP votes in three consecutive seasons (2021, 2022, 2023) and receiving two All-Star nominations (2021, 2023). Bichette’s current season might go down as one of the greatest in recent memory to not be awarded with an All-Star selection. He may have only slashed .282/.324/.443 in the first half, but he’s proven all the naysayers wrong with his second-half heroics. Toronto’s upcoming playoff push is going to be spearheaded by Bichette’s talent at the plate, and it’ll be incredible to watch him get what is potentially going to be a lengthy playoff experience.
Conversion to Second Base Incoming?
While Bichette hasn’t signed an extension with the Blue Jays, a return to Toronto in the offseason shouldn’t necessarily be ruled out. However, it’s important to consider what other teams might be in the hunt for his services following this season. Teams known for spending plenty of money in free agency include the New York Mets and Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Boston Red Sox, just to name a few. The majority of teams that are often the frontrunners to land top free agents have already established a talented shortstop for at least the next few seasons, so Bichette might not necessarily slot into that role.
Bichette’s free agency bears stark similarities to that of Xander Bogaerts, who signed with the San Diego Padres, who signed an 11-year, $280 million contract prior to the 2023 season and has played a considerable amount of games at second base to free up the shortstop position for stronger defensive players like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim.
Let’s look at the teams who shell hundreds of millions of dollars each offseason: the Yankees, the Dodgers, and the Mets. This isn’t to say that these are the only contenders to land Bichette in free agency, but just to use as example scenarios.
The Dodgers, as mentioned earlier, have been running Betts as a shortstop and his 88th-percentile OAA this season might dictate (at least at surface level) that they’re not going to move on from him at short. The Mets have Francisco Lindor and his 10-year, $341M contract at shortstop and he is likely to finish with MVP votes for the fourth-consecutive season. He’s not likely to move to another position. The Yankees have Anthony Volpe who, although he’s having a very confusing and in many ways disappointing season, won’t be the easiest to replace in the Bronx.
All of these teams have a role at second base that will be much easier to fill with Bichette, who has graded out as a below-average defensive shortstop in 2025. A less demanding position might play better with his skillset as his hit tool is much more valuable than any other part of his game. Bogaerts, Ketel Marte, Trevor Story, and so many other former shortstops have increased their value to their teams by adapting to new positions, and Bichette is probably going to become the latest name to join this list.
The fact of the matter is that Bichette has lost a step as he’s aged. He’s still just 27 years old, but he entered this season looking noticeably bigger than he did last year, and a lot of his numbers back that up. His sprint speed is down to the 21st percentile after being in the 49th last season and up to the 75th four years ago. On defense, his OAA is all the way down to the 1st percentile and his Arm Strength is in the 35th. Those are not the numbers of a long-term shortstop.
Closing Thoughts
Bichette is going to be one of the league’s most coveted free agents following the end of the 2025 season, and he’s going to get a massive payday from whoever is willing to give it to him. This could require him to move across the infield to second base where his below-average defensive ability won’t contribute as negatively to his play.
There will be many suitors looking to add the strong bat that Bichette brings to the table but he might need to switch positions to either better fit his performance or to fit whichever team he might be joining in free agency. Either way, Bo Bichette will go down as one of the best shortstops of his generation and he’s going to put up some great numbers wherever he ends up. Blue Jays fans might be upset at the prospect of him leaving via free agency, but they’ve been treated to some incredible seasons from a generational talent.
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Ethan has been writing for Just Baseball since 2024 and is fascinated by how sabermetric statistics can assist our understanding of outcomes and probability in baseball.…