NEW YORK — The Yankees have entered the Bo Bichette sweepstakes. They are not alone. The Dodgers, Cubs, Red Sox and Blue Jays all want the two-time All-Star shortstop. But before the Bronx writes a check for $150 million or more, one analyst is waving a giant red flag.
The warning is simple: Bichette’s athletic tools are disappearing fast. His bat speed has cratered. His defense is among the worst in baseball. And his legs might not hold up over a long-term deal.
The numbers look great on the surface
Bo Bichette slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI in 139 games during the 2025 season. His 134 wRC+ placed him among the top 20 hitters in baseball. His 3.8 WAR was respectable for a player who missed time with a knee injury.
He returned from that PCL sprain to play in the World Series for Toronto. He went 8-for-23 with a three-run homer off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7. The Blue Jays lost to the Dodgers in 11 innings, but Bichette showed he could perform on the biggest stage.
Over seven seasons with Toronto, he has batted .294 with 111 home runs and 437 RBI. He twice led the American League in hits. The bat has never been in question.
The underlying metrics tell a different story
Fireside Yankees co-host Ryan Garcia delivered a blunt assessment of Bichette’s value. He believes the former Blue Jays star is not an upgrade over the player the Yankees might trade to acquire him.
“Bichette was a top-20-ish hitter in baseball last year from a results standpoint, and he was still a three-ish, four-ish win player,” Garcia said. “This was a player who was not more valuable than Jazz Chisholm, despite being a top-20 hitter.”
Bichette’s bat speed has plummeted to the 12th percentile. His sprint speed dropped to the 21st percentile. His range ranks in the 1st percentile among all players. Those are terrifying numbers for a 27-year-old seeking a contract that could exceed $150 million.
Defense is the real problem
Bichette posted minus-13 Outs Above Average in 2025. That ranked among the worst in baseball for any position. Over the past five seasons, his minus-28 OAA is the fourth-worst mark among MLB shortstops.
Garcia highlighted the declining athleticism as a major concern.
“Bichette has gotten considerably slower,” Garcia said. “He is one of the slowest middle infielders in baseball right now. If you put him at second base, it is more likely that he is not a good defender than it is that he’s a great defender.”
His arm strength sits in the 36th percentile. That rules out a move to third base where strong throws are essential. Second base appears to be his only defensive home.
The Chisholm comparison matters for Yankees
The Yankees are reportedly fielding trade offers for Jazz Chisholm Jr. A deal would open a spot for Bichette at second base. But Garcia questioned whether that swap actually improves the roster.
Chisholm hit .242 with 31 home runs and 80 RBI in 2025. He posted plus-5 Fielding Run Value at second base. He ranked as an above-average baserunner. Bichette posted minus-3.2 BsR, the worst mark among all shortstops.
“This is a player you’ve got to be very wary of when it comes to projecting long-term value, short-term value, immediate value,” Garcia said. “He’s a very bad baserunner. There are concerns here. The issue is, again, is he considerably better than Jazz? I personally disagree with the assessment that he is considerably better than Jazz Chisholm.”
Bichette as a Bellinger backup plan
ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Yankees are offering Cody Bellinger something around five years and $130 million. Bellinger reportedly wants more. If those talks stall, Bichette becomes Plan B.
“Bo Bichette becomes a sort of safety net for the Yankees if they can’t get Bellinger at their price,” Olney said on TSN Radio. “The question is whether Bichette’s camp eventually comes down into the Yankees’ comfort range.”
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that Bichette has told teams he is willing to move to second base. That flexibility expands his market but does not erase the defensive concerns.
The injury history adds more risk
Bichette has not played 150 games since 2022. He appeared in just 81 games in 2024 due to a lingering calf strain and a fractured right middle finger. The knee injury cost him seven weeks in 2025.
A contract worth $150 million or more would lock the Yankees into paying a player whose body is already breaking down at 27. The declining sprint speed suggests the knee issues may linger.
Garcia summed up his warning with a conditional endorsement. The only scenario where Bichette makes sense is if trading Chisholm lands the Yankees a quality starting pitcher. Swapping an athletic second baseman for a declining one without that return would be a mistake the franchise regrets for years.
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