The best free-agent shortstop available this offseason appears to now be the top option at second base, as well.
Bo Bichette is letting interested teams know that he's willing to switch positions and make a permanent move to second, sources told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Bichette entered free agency as one of the top offensive players available, but there were questions about his ability to remain a shortstop long term. Advanced metrics have pegged him as one of the worst defensive shortstops in the majors in recent years. He ranked in the first percentile in outs above average and the 36th percentile in arm strength in 2025, according to Baseball Savant.
| Year | OAA | DRS | Arm Strength (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -13 | -12 | 82.3 |
| 2024 | 1 | -3 | 83.3 |
| 2023 | -3 | 4 | 82.6 |
| 2022 | -7 | -16 | 84.8 |
| 2021 | -6 | 3 | 86.0 |
For what Bichette lacks with his glove, he more than makes up for it with his bat. A potential move to second base would help negate some of the value lost defensively, as he could immediately become one of MLB's best second basemen. He's coming off an excellent season that was interrupted by a knee injury, but still managed to slash .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs, 44 doubles, and an .840 OPS across 139 games.
Bichette's posted an OPS over .800 in six of his seven seasons, with the only exception coming during an injury-riddled 2024 campaign. He's twice led the AL in hits (2021, 2022), and finished second in 2025 despite being limited to 139 games.
Bichette approached the Toronto Blue Jays about playing second base in the World Series as a way to get back in the lineup. He looked more than able to handle the position during the brief sample size despite playing on an injured knee.
Bichette letting other teams know that he is amenable to a position change could mean he's not receiving the offers he originally hoped for, or it could be a way for him to expand his market to teams that had interest but were either unwilling to offer him the shortstop job or had another player occupying the position.
Robinson Canó's 10-year, $240-million contract is the record signed by a second baseman, while Marcus Semien's current seven-year, $175-million deal is the second-most. Working in Bichette's favor is that he's only entering his age-28 season. Bichette is a much worse defensive player than both, but Canó and Semien were both 31 when they signed.
The Blue Jays could reunite with Bichette and have him play second base while deploying Andrés Giménez at shortstop. It would give the reigning AL champs the better defensive lineup and also allow Ernie Clement to shift to third base.
The Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants are teams that could potentially fit Bichette in at second base.
