The upcoming free agent market is going to be thin, to say the least.
Right now, the top offensive weapons scheduled to head to the open market are outfielders Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki. Arozarena smacked 26 home runs and drove in 79 runs in 54 games for the Seattle Mariners in 2026. Suzuki hit 26 home runs and drove in 86 runs for the Chicago Cubs in 143 games played. Outside of these two, the top offensive bats who are pending free agents are George Springer, Gleyber Torres, Trent Grisham, Ian Happ, Eugenio Suarez, Jonathan India, among others. There's a clear difference between Arozarena and Suzuki, and the rest of the top bats heading to the open market.
One guy who could throw a wrench into free agency is infielder Bo Bichette. The two-time All-Star has an opt-out to consider this offseason. If he doesn't use it, he'll make $42 million in 2027. If he does use it, all of a sudden he becomes the most intriguing offensive free agent. Plus, it helps that the third base market is going to be very thin.
What Should Bo Bichette Do?
Bichette didn't have a great 2026 season. He slashed .260/.312/.390 with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs in 160 games played. But he is still just 28 years old. He'll turn 29 years old before the 2027 season begins. Both Arozarena and Suzuki will be 32 years old by the time the 2027 season starts. Bichette is roughly four years younger.
When it comes to third base specifically, Suarez technically has a mutual option, but those are rarely ever picked up. Suarez is now 35 years old and batted .212 in 2026. He has significant pop, but didn't make contact and isn't great defensively at this point. Alec Bohm will be a free agent. He's 30 years old and has question marks himself. After Bichette, Suarez and Bohm, the next best options will be guys like Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Yoan Moncada and Jeimer Candelario.
If Bichette becomes available, he is head and shoulders above the rest of the potential third base free agent options. Plus, he can play other spots in the infield as well. Bichette was the Toronto Blue Jays' shortstop for years and he can play second base as well.
At the end of the day, Bichette has a decision to make. If he opts out, he should be in line for an even bigger multi-year deal.
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