The New York Yankees’ quiet offseason continues, with most headlines consisting of players leaving the Bronx rather than coming to it. That does not mean that the Yankees don’t have any interest in any players still on the market, though. Rather, it’s quite the opposite, at least according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. He claims that New York is interested in Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, but that they are not considering signing him to be their shortstop. Instead, the Yankees are pondering signing him to play third base over last year’s trade deadline acquisition Ryan McMahon.
Report: Yankees Considering Bo Bichette At Third Base
Defensive Woes
It’s not a secret around baseball that Bichette’s defensive skills are not the best. Statcast measured his outs above average (OAA) last season to be -13, which was one of the worst throughout all of Major League baseball. Instead, it’s Bichette’s bat that is peaking New York’s interest; the 27 year-old hit .311/.357/.483 last year, tacking on 18 homers and 94 RBIs. It was a much-needed, solid season for Bichette, especially after he put up an OPS of .598 across 81 games in 2024 before breaking his middle finger.
Is It Worth It?
As Hoch notes, the Yankees’ hesitancy with Bichette comes mostly from a financial perspective. Spotrac projects Bichette to receive a contract of about 8 years and $186 million ($23.3 million per year). This is a steep price, especially for a player who provides essentially nothing fielding-wise at a key defensive position.
If the Yankees do end up signing Bichette, it will force McMahon into a bench/platoon position. McMahon, who is under team control through 2027, might be the better option simply because of the price to sign a replacement. McMahon is making $16 million in 2026, which is a lot of money to spend on a player that isn’t starting every day. Both players’ brWAR totals from last season are also quite comparable, with Bichette’s at 3.5 and McMahon’s at 2.3, so it really comes down to whether or not the Yankees would prefer to spend an extra ~$7 million to get one more win’s worth of value.
Main Photo Credits: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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