Clint Frazier has a message for Brian Cashman: “Get Bo Bichette.” Anthony Volpe is going to have shoulder surgery, and the shortstop position is wide open. Frazier sees this as a chance that the Yankees can’t afford to miss.

“There’s really only one premium shortstop in the free agency market, and his name is Bo Bichette,” Frazier declared on his YouTube channel. He emphasized the urgency further. “Bo Bichette needs to be a legitimate person that the Yankees go after. They need to offer him a contract that makes the most sense, maybe overpay him a little bit just to try to fill that spot.”

Thinking about Volpe’s struggles before his injury and the Yankees’ defensive mistakes that led to their season’s bitter end, his reasoning makes sense. Bichette’s stats tell the Yankees what they need to know: a .311 average, 18 home runs, and 94 RBIs. That’s the kind of production they couldn’t find at shortstop all year.

Frazier doesn’t want the Yankees to miss out on big names again, since they have done so in the past. He pointed right at Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“There are players that the Yankees offered contracts to in the past where maybe they didn’t put another year on top of it, and then they get to watch those guys go out and be World Series champions,” he mentioned.

The Dodgers’ ability to go further than usual benefited Yamamoto.

That warning story hits home as Bichette is expected to sign an eight-year, $212 million deal. Frazier did mention that the price was high and there was a lot of competition, too. “The only team that might actually have a chance outside of the Blue Jays, in my opinion, might be the Dodgers.” Yet, he insisted the Yankees must test the market rather than repeat previous mistakes.

The Blue Jays are having a hard time deciding what to do with Bichette’s future.

In Game 7 of the World Series, the 27-year-old hit a three-run home run off Shohei Ohtani, proving how valuable he is to Toronto. His relationship with bench coach Don Mattingly, whom he hugged after the loss, makes any possible departure emotionally complicated, as well.

However, the Yankees’ pursuit could lead to an AL East rivalry never seen before, especially if they can acquire Toronto’s franchise cornerstone.

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees have to make another important choice while they chase Bichette.

Trent Grisham’s decision complicates the Yankees’ pursuit of Bichette

Trent Grisham has until November 18 to decide whether to accept a qualifying offer of $22.025 million. That amount would be a significant raise over his $5 million salary the past season. The clock is ticking, and the choice he makes will directly affect how much money Cashman will be left with to spend.

The 29-year-old outfielder gave back every penny of his deal.

He hit 34 home runs, drove in 74 runs, and had an OPS of .811 and a WAR of 3.5 in 2024. Yet, Michael Kay, who calls Yankees games, thinks the price is too high.

“If you are grossly overpaying for a player, that means that’s money you can’t spend somewhere else. It’s not an unlimited budget,” Kay mentioned. “So there is such a thing as a bad one-year contract if it inhibits you from doing other things that said year.”

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals are already positioning themselves if Grisham walks.

“For the Royals, Grisham represents the type of affordable, high-upside acquisition that could help balance their lineup,” analyst Curt Bishop noted. They could offer him a short-term deal with an option to opt out, giving him some freedom without committing to a long-term contract.

Grisham wins no matter what. Market estimates put his earnings between $48.2 million and $66 million over the next four years. And if he leaves, the Yankees get a draft pick and some money to help them go after Bichette.