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Essentials Inside The Story

  • Bo Bichette open to second base, market expands
  • Toronto Blue Jays faces tough infield, contract decision
  • Boston Red Sox emerge as strong positional fit

The Toronto Blue Jays are moving closer to a decision that they can’t ignore for long. Bichette’s future in Toronto suddenly feels less automatic now than ever before. And not because the bats are in question; it’s his position.

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Now, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Bichette has let interested teams know that he is open to signing as a second baseman. That one detail quietly changes everything—it just expands the market, brings more suitors, and forces Toronto to truly hard look in the mirror.

Bichette has been a shortstop his entire big league career—over 6100 innings there. But the defensive numbers have not been good. Statcast has graded him as average at best and often worse. The outs above average have him near the bottom of the position since 2023. Even the defensive runs saved tell a similar story!

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Plus, Bo Bichette’s mobility is limited, and right-handed hitters tend to find the holes on his side. So in this case, a move to second base will mask a lot of that. And the best part—everyone has witnessed it. Bichette played second base during this year’s World Series during his recovery from a knee injury. And eight hits, a massive Game 7 homer—all while clearly not being at his 100%. Toronto needed his bat, and they adjusted, and voila, it worked. And this is where it gets uncomfortable for Jays.

Andres Gimenez is a better shortstop, no doubt. Defensively, though, it’s not even close—given Bichette a career. A .294 hitter with postseason experience is the star. The cleaners’ situation now is Gimenez at short and Bichette at second.

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Keegan Matheson of Toronto Sports Rush mentions that there is an eight out of ten chance that Bichette finishes his career at second base. As Matheson put it, “They’re a better baseball team with Bo at second.”

That matters because it pushes the Jays to make a decision. The market is complicating things. Few teams want a shortstop, and even fewer than that will offer $200 million plus for one. But if Bichette is taken as a second baseman, then suddenly teams like the Braves, Red Sox, Dodgers, Giants, and Angels enter the picture.

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Bo Bichette wanting to play second base is great news for the Red Sox

Bo Bichette telling interested teams that he is open to moving from shortstop and playing second base should interest the Boston Red Sox. The Sox haven’t had a true long-term solution at the position since Dustin Pedroia’s career-altering injury in 2017. And every attempt since has felt like a short-term patch, not a solution!

Craig Breslow has even hinted that the second baseman of the future isn’t Kristian Campbell. He struggled as a rookie, and now he looks very likely to settle into an outfield role. This leaves Boston once again in shopping mode to fill one of the most important spots on the infield.

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The Boston Red Sox have explored the trade market, including checking in with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte. The fit is obvious, but the cost is not. The D’backs apparently want Marcelo Mayer in return, and Boston is not ready to move any of their top prospects for any deal, even for a good second baseman.

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This is where Bo Bichette comes in.

Bichette handles the second baseman role well and has been one of the most reliable right-handed hitters in the league. So Boston could use that kind of balance. Plus, age matters too. Boston has been hesitant to commit long-term money to players who are above the age of 30, and Bichette turns 28 just before the opening day.

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So, he is in a sweet spot for a deal the Boston front office can crack. No doubt the price would be a lot, but for a team that needs stability and production, this seems perfect!

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