Bo Bichette’s offensive prowess could transform the Cubs' lineup, but his massive contract demands present a significant hurdle.
The Chicago Cubs desperately need to add an impactful bat to their lineup this offseason. They need to replace Kyle Tucker’s bat in that lineup and need a difference maker at the top of the order.
Former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette would fill all those boxes. He gets on base at a high level and is simply a hits machine.
Bichette is coming off a solid all-around campaign, in which he hit .311 with 18 home runs, 44 doubles, 94 RBI, and four stolen bases across 139 games. His .311 batting average ranked tied for second in all of baseball, and 181 hits ranked second in the American League in 2025.
After struggling throughout the 2024 campaign, Bichette showed last year that his one poor season was more of a fluke than anything else. The two-time All-Star has hit at least .290 in four of the past five seasons and has led the league in hits twice (2021 and 2022) in his career.
So, there’s no doubt that Bichette would really elevate that Cubs’ offense. Assuming the team doesn’t trade away Nico Hoerner, having a lineup that features both Bichette and Hoerner at the top would do wonders for this lineup. Those two totaled a combined 359 hits last year.
While Bichette would be a nice fit for the Cubs, his supposed asking price needs to come way down. If it doesn’t, there’s a highly unlikely chance that Chicago signs him.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Bichette is seeking a contract of around $300 million this offseason.
“As an ultra young free agent at 27, Bichette’s ask is thought around $300 million, which at first blush may sound high considering that’s the ballpark of even more accomplished shortstops Corey Seager, Trea Turner and Francisco Lindor, but maybe not when you consider how deals for Juan Soto and Bichette’s teammate/great friend Vlad Guerrero Jr. moved the market,” Heyman wrote.
There’s no way that the Cubs would ever give Bichette $300 million in free agency. This is a front office that has never even given out a $200 million contract in the team’s history, and that’s likely not going to change this winter.
Now, there is a strong chance that nobody will give Bichette the $300 million that he is seeking in free agency. It would be quite surprising to see any team do it, considering he is a poor defender and has finished with a 4.0 WAR or better just once over his last four seasons.
The Cubs are one of several teams interested in signing Bichette this winter. The Philadelphia Phillies -- who are scheduled to meet with him on Monday -- New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers are all currently in the mix.
However, his big asking price could draw the Cubs away.