The Cubs just changed everything in the Bo Bichette sweepstakes by signing Alex Bregman. Chicago’s had quite a week, and now Bichette’s list of potential landing spots has shrunk considerably.
But here’s what’s working in his favor – teams are viewing him as more than just a shortstop.
“Can confirm Bo Bichette has received interest from multiple teams who view him as a second baseman or third baseman, due to the presence of an established shortstop on those rosters. Further evidence that the World Series augmented his value in the marketplace,” MLB insider Jon Morosi posted.
That positional flexibility is keeping plenty of doors open, even as the shortstop market gets crowded.
Phillies Making Their Move
The Philadelphia Phillies are pushing hard to get Bichette locked up, which would position them nicely for another run at the NL East title. They’re not just kicking tires either – there’s already a meeting on the books.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the Phillies scheduled a virtual meeting with Bichette on Monday, Jan. 12 to discuss bringing him aboard. An official confirmed the meeting while speaking on condition of anonymity due to ongoing negotiations.
The Phillies make sense. They need depth, and Bichette’s proven he can handle big moments – something his World Series performance definitely reinforced.
Don’t Count Out the Dodgers
But FanSided’s Chris Landers thinks the Los Angeles Dodgers might swoop in and steal Bichette from Philadelphia.
“Unless the Red Sox really, really experience a financial change of heart, it’s not hard to see Bichette not finding the sort of deal he (understandably) thinks he deserves. And in that case, why not take an opt out-laden deal with the Dodgers, rake in 2026 and hit the market again ahead of your age-29 season,” Landers wrote.
That’s a compelling argument. The Dodgers haven’t made their typical big splash this offseason, and they’ve got roster needs coming down the pipeline. Adding Bichette would give them another proven bat in an already loaded lineup.
What makes this interesting is that with Kyle Tucker staying relatively quiet about his free-agent plans, the Dodgers seem to view Bichette as the more realistic target between the two.
It’s shaping up to be a fascinating race, and with positional flexibility working in his favor, Bichette’s got options. The question now is whether he’ll take the guaranteed money or bet on himself with a shorter, opt-out heavy deal.
