As the New York Yankees continue to look at the infield market this offseason, everyone has continued to say the same thing about Bo Bichette.
If Bichette ends up in New York, it won’t be as a shortstop.
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees have checked in on Bichette, but they aren’t expected to pursue him as a shortstop if a deal were to happen. The interest is real, though, which is a good sign of what could happen if his market isn’t where he’s hoping for.
“The Yankees have checked in on Bichette, but likely would need to trade second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. or third baseman Ryan McMahon to accommodate him,” Rosenthal wrote. “They do not envision Bichette at shortstop.”
Simply put, this wouldn’t be about replacing Anthony Volpe or changing his role, which is questionable. As of now, it seems more likely that the Yankees would move on from Jazz Chisholm Jr. or Ryan McMahon in a trade before Bichette plays shortstop over Volpe.
If Bichette were signed, it’d likely involve a trade of either Chisholm or McMahon to open up a spot in the infield. I absolutely hate that, but it’s what everyone is saying at this point.
Volpe hasn’t been good, but the organization still believes in him at shortstop. However, as the Yankees have found out with other players in the past, not replacing Volpe with the likes of Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, and now Bichette is and would be the wrong idea.
On another note, Rosenthal made it clear about who is at the top of the Yankees’ offseason priority list.
“Re-signing Cody Bellinger remains the team’s top priority.”
He’s an easier fit than Bichette due to the fact that he can play the outfield and first base, while Bichette is one of the worst fielders in baseball and doesn’t offer that flexibility.
Ultimately, this feels like a reminder of how the Yankees are operating. They’re open-minded, they’re exploring options, but they’re either being cheap and don’t want to step on toes.
Bichette has his flaws, but stealing an elite hitter from a team that just knocked you out of the playoffs, even with him hurt, seems to be something the Yankees would want to do.
However, it seems like the Yankees will only do so under their watch.