Shortstops get paid.
That's the basic intel provided from ESPN's Jeff Passan in a deep dive on this offseason's upcoming free agency. And the best shortstop on the market, by a mile and a half, is Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette.
And so, Passan writes, Bichette will get paid.
He brings up Xander Bogaerts' $280 million contract with the San Diego Padres as a comparison point. Many have speculated Bichette is a $200 million player. But maybe he's more.
"Bichette is only 27 years old, not 28 until March, the youngest of all the free agents," Passan writes. "He's in his prime with years left to spare. He's a consistent .300-plus hitter. He goes to all fields. He's got power. His problem with lateral mobility could easily be solved by a move to third base -- though it remains to be seen if he would want to change positions -- and his bat would be good enough to play there, too. Whatever position Bichette mans, wherever he plays, he is a hitter in an era with far too few. Maybe he's not a $300 million player. But if Turner is worth $300 million and Xander Bogaerts is worth $280 million and both were at least two years older than Bichette when they did sign, surely the market won't leave him high and dry."
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Bichette had a miserable 2024 season for the Blue Jays. He batted just .225 while battling injuries. For a player who had felt like a franchise cornerstone, it raised lots of worry.
But it doesn't seem to be the real Bo.
Bichette batted .311 in his short debut season, then .301 in the shortened 2020 season.
By 2021, he was at full throttle, hitting .298 and leading the AL with 191 hits.
In 2022, he was again the league leader in hits (189) with a .290 average.
If not for a short injury stint in 2023, he would've led again, as he raised his average to .306 with 175 hits in 135 games.
This is a special hitter, and he's proving that again in 2025, where he's one of only two players (Aaron Judge) hitting .300 with 90 RBI up to this point in the season.
Someone will pay him. The only questions are how much, and which team?
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