Anthony Volpe was supposed to be the answer at shortstop for the Yankees, but after three seasons of poor results, that may no longer be the case.
Volpe's offense and, surprisingly, his defense have regressed each season as the everyday shortstop, and now that he's undergone shoulder surgery this offseason, his effectiveness in 2026 and beyond is up for debate. The injury clearly affected his on-field performance in 2025. GM Brian Cashman said as much in his end-of-season news conference, but also said he "believed" in Volpe.
But belief can only go so far when you're vying for championships. And if the Yanks hope to get back to the October Classic sooner rather than later, an upgrade at the position may be needed.
Enter Bo Bichette.
The Blue Jays infielder has tormented the Yankees in the AL East for years, but now hits free agency for the first time. Should New York take the big swing and sign Bichette?
Here are the pros and cons…
PROS
Bichette had a massive bounce back season in 2025.
After playing in just 81 games in 2024, Bichette was on the field for 139 games and slashed .311/.357/.483 with an OPS of .840. He had career bests in average, OBP and OPS — taking away his 46-game rookie season and the shortened 2020 year. His 18 home runs may be down, but that's due to the knee injury that wiped out most of his September. Otherwise, he would have hit the 20-homer mark for the fourth time in five seasons.
He also would have flirted with his career-best mark in RBI after driving in 94 in his 139 games. His previous best was 102 back in 2021. So the production is there, but Bichette also added plate discipline to his repertoire this season.
He walked 40 times, which is just one fewer than his best back in 2022. If Bichette hadn't gotten injured, he would have shattered his personal record.
He also struck out 91 times this season. Sure, he would have likely eclipsed the 100-K mark for the fourth time in five seasons, but he was also pacing to have a career low of 115 (in seasons where he played 100-plus games).
According to Baseball Savant, Bichette was in the 86th percentile in strikeout percentage this past season (14.5) and had a whiff percentage of 18.4, which is in the 83rd percentile. Compare that to Volpe, who had a strikeout percentage of 25.2 and was ranked in the 24th percentile. His whiff percentage was 25.1 and in the 43rd percentile.
The Yanks need to cut down on the strikeouts, and Bichette is an upgrade over Volpe in that department.
And then we have the defense. While Bichette isn't going to win a Gold Glove any time soon, he's serviceable at shortstop and proved he can even play second base when he shifted there in the World Series, of all times.
Also, Bichette is a tough, gritty player. He returned from his severe knee sprain in the World Series and could have earned MVP honors if the Blue Jays won. In the seven-game series, Bichette went 8-for-23 (.348) with a home run and six RBI in limited playing time.
For his career, Bichette is a .311 hitter in the postseason, albeit in just 13 games, but he has proven he can hit.
CONS
The biggest con would be the money the Yankees would have to spend.
It's being reported that the Yanks want to operate under $300 million, and signing Bichette would mean other high-priced free agents like Cody Bellinger could be off the table. With the needs at outfield outweighing shortstop, the Yankees may not have an appetite for what the 27-year-old will likely get paid.
Money aside, New York would also have to be wary of Bichette's recent injury history. He missed about a month due to a knee injury in 2025 and missed half the year in 2024 due to various injuries. Bichette's age is on his side, but New York may have pause to pull the trigger since they already have an injured shortstop on the roster.
Bichette's defense also leaves a lot to be desired. The shortstop was a -13 in OAA in 2025 and has been a negative in the field in every season aside from 2020 (1) and 2024 (1), and in both years, he didn't play more than 81 games. Despite Volpe's flaws at the plate, he is a Gold Glove winner and is just one year removed from being worth 13 OAA.
VERDICT
The Yankees should swing big for Bichette this offseason. They've let other high-profile free agent shortstops go in the past (Corey Seager, Trea Turner) in favor of their farm, and it hasn't worked out.
It's not necessarily too late for Volpe in the Bronx, but if the Yanks are serious about winning, they need an upgrade — and Bichette provides that.
I don't have faith the team will do what's needed to acquire Bichette and Bellinger, who they need more, this offseason. It's likelier the team will roll with Volpe when he returns from injury and use their one big expenditure on the outfield.
I hope I'm wrong, because Bichette makes too much sense.
