Bo Bichette reportedly viewed by Red Sox as ‘intriguing’ option

Boston Red Sox

Bichette became a free agent after helping the Blue Jays come within a win of winning the World Series.

By Conor Roche

December 6, 2025 | 11:23 AM

2 minutes to read

Alex Bregman hasn’t made a decision about his future yet, but the Red Sox seem to be lining up backup plans in case he leaves Boston. One of them reportedly includes poaching a top star from a division rival.

Multiple members of the Red Sox’ organization view Bo Bichette as an “intriguing alternative” if they lose Bregman in free agency, The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported.

Bichette, who’ll turn 28 in March, is not only one of the top hitters on the open market this offseason, but he’s also one of the youngest free agents. The two-time All-Star hit .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs, and a .840 OPS this past season, helping him earn MVP votes for the fourth time in the last five years.

While Bichette is one of the best hitters for average in baseball (.292 batting average since 2021, has led the AL twice in hits), there might be some obstacles the Red Sox face if they were to sign him. He’s exclusively played shortstop with the Blue Jays, and the Red Sox already have Trevor Story occupying the position. Marcelo Mayer has also been speculated to be a possible option to play shortstop for the Red Sox sooner rather than later.

But Bichette might need to move off shortstop, anyway. He’s widely regarded as one of the worst fielders among infielders in baseball. He logged a minutes-13 Outs Above Average last season, which was the second-worst mark across the majors. So, if the Red Sox lose Bregman, they could theoretically move Bichette to second base and have Mayer become their full-time third baseman.

Beyond Bichette’s fielding woes, the right-handed hitter’s bat might not have as much pop as some hope, as the Red Sox seem to be looking for more power this offseason. His home run total has declined in each of the last four years (excluding his injury-shortened 2024 season), going from 29 homers in 2021 to 20 homers in 2023.

Still, signing Bichette might be the best possible scenario for the Red Sox if they lose Bregman this offseason. On top of being one of the best hitters for average in baseball, Bichette finished second in the American League in doubles in two of his last three seasons.

Of course, signing Bichette likely won’t come cheap. MLB Trade Rumors projected that he’ll get an eight-year, $208 million contract this offseason, while The Athletic predicted that Bichette will sign an eight-year, $212 million contract. However, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel projected that Bichette will get a smaller contract at five years, $130 million.

Signing Bichette would likely put the Red Sox into the luxury tax for next year before accounting for any other moves. Boston’s projected payroll for 2026 currently sits at $226 million, per Red Sox Payroll on X, which is $18 million short of the first luxury tax threshold.

In addition to Bichette and Bregman, the Red Sox have also been linked to Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso. MLB Trade Rumors, The Athletic, and ESPN each project those two players to sign contracts worth around $30 million per year.