{"id":398782,"date":"2026-01-08T02:08:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T02:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/398782\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T02:08:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T02:08:08","slug":"poll-who-will-sign-bo-bichette","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/398782\/","title":{"rendered":"Poll: Who Will Sign Bo Bichette?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been an unusual trip through free agency for Bo Bichette<\/a>. The infielder is one of the most attractive free agents on the market as a bat-first shortstop with multiple All-Star appearances under his belt who will only be 28 years old next year, but he\u2019s not gotten much attention in the rumor mill this winter as players like Kyle Tucker<\/a>, Alex Bregman<\/a>, and Cody Bellinger<\/a> have absorbed most of the offseason attention. Perhaps that lack of buzz has been due to a widespread assumption that Bichette, who has long spoken about his desire to stay in Toronto for his entire career, was sure to remain with the Blue Jays going forward. That\u2019s an illusion that\u2019s been shattered by the Jays\u2019 addition of Kazuma Okamoto<\/a> and their reportedly increased aggression in the market for Tucker, however. If the Blue Jays appear to be pivoting towards other stars, where does that leave Bichette? A look at his potential landing spots:<\/p>\n

Boston Red Sox<\/p>\n

The Red Sox haven\u2019t been shy about their desire to either re-sign or replace Bregman, adding to an infield mix that already includes Trevor Story<\/a> and Marcelo Mayer<\/a> as likely starting options. Bichette would certainly be as strong an addition as any for the Red Sox, adding a transformational right-handed bat to their heavily left-handed lineup. Bichette would likely be the weakest defender at shortstop between himself, Story, and Mayer, but that shouldn\u2019t be a significant problem seeing as Bregman himself does not play shortstop and Bichette has expressed a willingness to move off his native position headed into 2026.<\/p>\n

All of that makes Bichette a great fit for the Red Sox, which is surely why they held a video meeting<\/a> with him last month. Even so, there are some potential obstacles. The team has reportedly started to be more aggressive in their pursuit of Bregman in free agency, and it\u2019s nearly impossible to imagine Boston bringing in both players. Even if they don\u2019t bring Bregman back into the fold, the Red Sox have shown a clear preference for utilizing the trade market to improve rather than free agency, so perhaps someone like Brendan Donovan<\/a> or Ketel Marte<\/a> would hold more appeal.<\/p>\n

Chicago Cubs<\/p>\n

The Cubs are a more recent entrant into the Bichette sweepstakes, as they\u2019ve been connected<\/a> to him in recent weeks. Chicago has had a very quiet offseason so far, but with Tucker expected to head elsewhere in free agency it\u2019s easy to see why they might want to bring in a big bat to supplement the offense. As the #2 free agent in this year\u2019s class behind Tucker, Bichette would certainly qualify, and his relative youth could be attractive to a Cubs team that is building up a core of young talent that includes Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a>, Matt Shaw<\/a>, Michael Busch<\/a>, and Cade Horton<\/a> with more youngsters on the way.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Dansby Swanson<\/a> and Nico Hoerner<\/a> are the league\u2019s best defensive middle infield combination at the moment. Bringing Bichette into the fold would seemingly either require Bichette to move to third base (thereby pushing Shaw into a utility role) or trading Hoerner to free up the keystone. The team\u2019s front office already gave Shaw a vote of confidence earlier this winter, but Hoerner\u2019s name has come up occasionally in trade rumors this winter as he heads into his final season before free agency.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Dodgers<\/p>\n

As with the Cubs, Los Angeles\u2019s interest in Bichette is a somewhat recent development. It\u2019s hardly ever a shock to see the Dodgers involved in the market for a top free agent, and Bichette is no exception to that. After a down season in 2025 from Mookie Betts<\/a>, adding Bichette\u2019s right-handed bat to the middle of the lineup could be very attractive for the Dodgers in order to help balance out the big lefty bats offered by Shohei Ohtani<\/a> and Freddie Freeman<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With that being said, an infield consisting of Betts at shortstop, Bichette at second base, and Max Muncy<\/a> at third base could leave much to be desired defensively. What\u2019s more, such an alignment would require moving Tommy Edman<\/a> back into center field on a daily basis, a move the club could be hesitant to make given his injury history. Of the winter\u2019s top free agents, Tucker seems like a more straightforward fit for the Dodgers given their weak outfield mix. Even with that being said, however, the Dodgers\u2019 financial muscle and eagerness to build on their back-to-back World Series wins leaves just about anything on the table for the club.<\/p>\n

Toronto Blue Jays<\/p>\n

While much of the discourse surrounding alternative suitors for Bichette is due to the seemingly closing window for him to return to Toronto, that doesn\u2019t mean the Blue Jays are completely out of the running. Bichette\u2019s affection for the only team he\u2019s known since being drafted in the second round back in 2016 has been widely reported for years now, and his close connection with fellow star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a> surely makes a return to Toronto the most attractive option from his own perspective. While Tucker is a more straightforward fit for the team\u2019s needs after signing Okamoto, Bichette would still certainly be an extremely viable alternative if the bidding for the star outfielder gets outside of the Jays\u2019 comfort zone. Placing Bichette at second base and either moving Ernie Clement<\/a> into a bench role or having Okamoto split time between first base, third base, DH, and the outfield corners in order to create playing time for Clement could certainly be a viable option.<\/p>\n

Other Options<\/p>\n

Those four teams are perhaps the most feasible options for Bichette, but they\u2019re far from the only ones. The Phillies have been connected to him and could certainly fit him into the lineup if they were to more significantly alter their lineup by dealing Alec Bohm<\/a>, but signing Bichette seems likely to complicate their ability to re-sign J.T. Realmuto<\/a>. The Yankees have also been connected to Bichette and might be his best chance at playing shortstop in 2026 given Anthony Volpe<\/a>\u2019s difficult year last season, but they presently seem focused on signing Bellinger and adding to their rotation, making a pursuit of Bichette lower on their list of priorities. The Giants could certainly use an upgrade at the keystone over Casey Schmitt<\/a>, but they\u2019ve been more focused on trade options like Donovan\u00a0and Hoerner than the free agent market. The Tigers could theoretically put Bichette at shortstop in 2026 alongside Gleyber Torres<\/a> before sliding him over to second when Torres hits free agency next year in order to make room for top prospect Kevin McGonigle<\/a>, but Detroit\u2019s front office seems largely content to head into 2026 with the same group that brought them back-to-back playoff berths the past two seasons.<\/p>\n

Where do MLBTR readers ultimately think Bichette will land? Have your say in the poll below:<\/p>\n

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