The New York Yankees are planning to use free agency to come back stronger than ever in the 2026 season. While the Pinstripes have been heavily linked to power-hitting outfielders like Kyle Tucker and hard-throwing starters such as Tarik Skubal, there’s another area where they could look to improve — shortstop.
Anthony Volpe’s 2025 Struggles
Current starting shortstop Anthony Volpe has faced significant struggles over the past two seasons, 2024 and 2025. Now, the Yankees are rumored to be targeting a big name from within their own division: Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette.
Volpe became the focus of frustration among both Yankees fans and baseball analysts this season. Although he hit 19 home runs in 153 games, he also committed 19 errors, tying for the third-most in the league. Offensively, his numbers were disappointing, posting a .212/.272/.391 slash line with a .663 OPS in the regular season.
Recently, the Yankees revealed that Volpe had been playing through a partial labrum tear in his non-throwing left shoulder throughout the season. He has since undergone surgery and is expected to miss the start of the 2026 campaign. While manager Aaron Boone denied that the injury affected Volpe’s performance, general manager Brian Cashman disagreed, saying he believes the injury clearly impacted his play.
What Could Bo Bichette Bring to the Yankees?
Bichette put up far better numbers than Volpe during the 2025 regular season, slashing .311/.357/.483 for an .840 OPS — his best since debuting in 2019. While Bichette isn’t flawless defensively (12 errors), he would bring a much stronger bat to a Yankees lineup that faced constant criticism for keeping Volpe at shortstop despite his struggles.
However, there are downsides. According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, Bichette could demand a seven-year, $190 million contract, which would be a huge jump from Volpe’s $3.25 million salary for 2026. Bichette’s durability is also a concern — he missed half of the 2024 season due to multiple injuries.
While Bichette is clearly a better offensive player than Volpe, investing such a large sum in someone with an injury history could be risky, especially when Volpe might rebound after a full recovery. Moreover, Bichette has been vocal about his desire to stay in Toronto, where the Blue Jays are on the verge of a potential World Series victory.
The Yankees will have to wait until five days after the World Series ends before they can begin negotiating with free agents from other teams — including Bo Bichette.
In short, New York faces a pivotal offseason decision: take a costly gamble on Bichette or stay patient and trust that Volpe’s best baseball is still ahead of him.
