For much of the 2025 season, it’s looked as though Bo Bichette will be the only notable shortstop in free agency — and it’s been plenty fair to debate whether he’s a shortstop at all. The 27-year-old has bounced back — and then some — at the plate, largely quieting concerns about his anemic performance with the bat in an injury-ruined 2024 season that saw him slash just .225/.277/.322 with four homers in 81 games. But whatever good will Bichette has regained with a resurgent performance in the batter’s box has at least partially been offset by a career-worst year with the glove — and now yet another lower-half injury.
Elsewhere in free agency, what once looked like an otherwise-barren class has now begun to show some potential upside. Narratives surrounding several potential free agents have begun to shift — enough that it bears taking a lengthier look at what the winter might bring.

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