NEW YORK — The Yankees are dealing with infield uncertainty at shortstop. Anthony Volpe underwent shoulder surgery in October to repair a partially torn labrum. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Volpe will not swing a bat for four months. He cannot dive for six months. Opening Day 2026 is out of the question.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman expects Volpe back sometime in April. May at the latest. Jose Caballero would start at shortstop until then.
Volpe struggled badly in 2025. He batted .212 with a .272 on-base percentage and committed 19 errors. Boone admitted the injury likely contributed more than anyone realized at the time.
“For him to become that frontline shortstop, that’s got to improve,” Boone said. “He understands that, we understand that.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. presents another complication for the Yankees. The second baseman enters his final year of team control in 2026. Contract talks have been lukewarm. The Yankees have not had serious extension discussions with him, according to multiple reports.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com said on SNY that he would be willing to trade Chisholm at the Winter Meetings given the uncertainty.
“Do the Yankees see him as their future at second base?” Hoch asked. “And if not, he could probably bring a significant return here.”
Bo Bichette would bring elite bat to Yankees lineup
Bo Bichette bounced back from a rough 2024 with one of his best seasons. He hit .311 with an .840 OPS, 18 home runs and 94 RBI in 139 games. A knee injury cost him the final month of the regular season. He returned for the World Series and batted .348 with a .923 OPS. Those numbers would make him one of the best hitters on the Yankees roster immediately.
Madison Pavich of Pinstripe Alley suggested the Yankees should pivot away from outfield targets like Tucker and Cody Bellinger. An infield upgrade might help more in the long run.
“Bo Bichette is a name that has been linked to the Yankees earlier in the offseason, and would be an outright upgrade to what Volpe has given them recently,” Pavich wrote. “He comes with defensive limitations, ones that may necessitate him being a longer-term replacement for Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second should the team not re-sign him after next season, but for an immediate fit he’d become the team’s starting shortstop.”
Contract projections vary widely. The Athletic’s Tim Britton estimated eight years and $212 million. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter projected seven years at $180 million. Comparisons to Willy Adames and his seven-year, $182 million deal with the Giants keep coming up.
Bichette declined the Blue Jays’ qualifying offer of $22.025 million. Any team that signs him will forfeit draft compensation. That has not scared off the Yankees before. The Bronx Bombers have shown willingness to sacrifice picks for premium talent.
Toronto’s latest reset boosts Yankees hopes for Bo Bichette
The Toronto Blue Jays spent big on pitching this offseason. They committed $210 million to Dylan Cease and another $30 million to Cody Ponce. Now comes the harder question. Can they afford to keep their homegrown star at shortstop?
Bo Bichette remains unsigned as the Winter Meetings approach. The two-time All-Star wants to stay in Toronto. His teammates want him back. But the Yankees are lurking with an unexpected opportunity that could flip the entire AL East on its head. New York could use his bat at shortstop.
One prominent MLB insider believes the fit makes too much sense to ignore.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com raised eyebrows this week when he named Bichette as the ideal free agent match for the Yankees. Not an outfielder. Not a starting pitcher. The shortstop who just helped eliminate New York from the playoffs.
“Bichette and the Blue Jays could still have a reunion, but what if the Yankees made a strong bid for the shortstop?” Feinsand wrote. “Many view Bichette as a future second baseman, but with Anthony Volpe recovering from shoulder surgery and Jazz Chisholm Jr. set to become a free agent next year, Bichette could step in at shortstop and give New York a long-term plan at second base if Chisholm leaves.”
Blue Jays face financial crunch after spending spree
The Yankees are not the only threat. Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com predicted Bichette would land with the Red Sox. The Braves have been mentioned. The Tigers are reportedly interested, with one analyst projecting an eight-year, $208 million deal to Detroit.
Toronto’s front office insists money is not a problem. CBS Sports reporter Matt Snyder wrote that the Blue Jays can still afford Bichette despite the Cease deal. The team already committed $710 million combined to Cease and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. this year alone.
“Even if it seems tricky, there’s room to add Bichette,” Snyder said. “The bottom line here is these pitching moves don’t prevent the Blue Jays from bringing Bichette back.”
Toronto faces nightmare scenario if Bichette leaves for rival
The Blue Jays do not have to lose Bichette. They have money. They have motivation. They just proved they belong among contenders.
But if negotiations stall and another team swoops in, the Yankees represent the worst possible outcome for fans north of the border. New York already eliminated the Blue Jays from the playoffs once before in 2020. Toronto returned the favor this October.
“I said I’ve wanted to be here from the beginning,” Bichette said after Game 7 of the World Series. Those words offered hope. They did not guarantee anything.
MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson believes the Blue Jays will fight hard to keep him. Toronto just signed Guerrero to a record $500 million extension earlier this year. That shows commitment.
“The Blue Jays have the money, have the motivation and have the winning environment,” Matheson wrote. “If Bichette wants Toronto, Toronto will want him.”
The Winter Meetings begin Monday. Answers may come quickly after that. Both the Yankees and Blue Jays will be watching every development closely. The Yankees front office has remained quiet about their interest, but the fit speaks for itself.
For Toronto, keeping Bichette means preserving a core that came three outs from a championship. For the Yankees, stealing him would deliver an immediate upgrade while hurting a division rival. The Yankees need production at shortstop. Bichette provides exactly that.
The stakes could not be higher for both sides. The next few weeks will determine whether Bichette stays in Toronto or joins the Yankees as their newest star.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
