The Angels are a surprising 'sleeper' contender for Bo Bichette, potentially disrupting the Yankees and Dodgers' pursuit with their offseason spending spree.
One of free agency's biggest names, shortstop Bo Bichette, has been garnering interest from baseball’s biggest clubs. From the Los Angeles Dodgers to the New York Yankees, Bichette has no shortage of options this free agency.
The 27-year-old is coming off another great season with the Toronto Blue Jays, in which he played a big role in leading them to the World Series for the first time since 1993. In 2025, he posted a slash line of .311/.357/.483 with an .840 OPS. It was a statement contract season after a down year in 2024.
As a result, Bichette will be signing one of baseball’s biggest contracts this offseason. It may not be with one of the big market teams, however, as the Los Angeles Angels were labeled as a ‘sleeper’ team for the two-time All-Star by former MLB catcher Erik Kratz of Foul Territory TV.
The Angels have plenty of money to work with this offseason, especially after the restructuring of third baseman Anthony Rendon’s contract. With a couple of holes in their infield, the Halos could surprise the MLB by signing one of the best available infielders on the market.
Zach Neto has held down the shortstop position for the Angels for three seasons now, and he’s been better in each of his first three seasons. Still, he has plenty of room for improvement on the defensive side of things, recording -8 outs above average at shortstop last season.
Bichette is certainly no defensive ace, as he recorded a -13 OAA of his own last season. Given the Angels’ hole at second base, it wouldn’t be all that hard to imagine one of Neto or Bichette moving over to second. It wouldn’t be the most rock steady infield pairing of Neto and Bichette, but their production at the plate would pose a threat on a nightly basis.
It’s highly optimistic to believe that Bichette would choose the Angels, who haven’t had a winning season in a decade, over successful teams like the aforementioned Yankees or Dodgers. The Halos have been aggressive this offseason, making several moves that indicate a desire to see a much-improved 2026 campaign. Even if they view Bichette as a missing piece in their infield, it would take some magic to bring him to Anaheim.