Bo Bichette Receives Unfortunate News in MLB Free Agency

Despite his strong postseason performance, concerns about Bichette’s defense have complicated how teams project him long term. As a result, his market appears to be weaker than he may have expected.

On Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Bichette is no longer viewed as a shortstop by many teams around MLB. That position, which is often reserved for premier defenders, also commands a much larger price tag in free agency — making this an unfortunate development for Bichette.

“Many teams, knowing Bichette’s defensive metrics are among the league’s worst, no longer view him as a shortstop,” Rosenthal wrote.

Bo Bichette’s Defense Impacts His Free Agent Outlook

That split between offense and defense helps explain the market Bichette now faces. He is coming off a 129 OPS+ season and posted elite numbers in 2025. For context, Willy Adames signed with the San Francisco Giants in 2024 as a shortstop on a seven-year, $182 million deal after a 119 OPS+ season.

Bichette is younger and a better hitter than Adames was when he hit free agency, but his defense is the key difference. Bichette ranked last among 71 qualified shortstops in Fielding Run Value in 2025, according to Baseball Savant, which makes teams reluctant to commit premium shortstop dollars to him.

That defensive downgrade and positional shift has clear financial consequences. Earlier this month, Bleacher Report stated the "average salary among 10 highest-paid SS in 2024 was $24 million… Marcus Semien was the only 2B to make at least $16 million in 2024."

If clubs prefer to move Bichette to second base or even designated hitter, his market value will almost certainly fall. This is unfortunate considering Bichette had the kind of bounce-back year offensively he was hoping for after career-lows across the board in 2024.

Detroit Tigers infielder Gleyber Torres accepting a qualifying offer this year while coming off an All-Star season at second base is a signal the market for that position may not be very robust right now. Which is another reason why Bichette not being viewed as a shortstop could see his overall value end up lower than some initially predicted.

Bichette’s bat keeps him among the top hitters on the market, but front offices will have to choose between paying premium value while accepting defensive risk or offering a lower contract if they shift him off the position. That dynamic will shape both the size of his deal and which teams remain serious bidders.