Braves Linked With Bo Bichette as Top Shortstop Target

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00:00Braves linked with Bo Bichette as top shortstop target.

00:04After a disappointing 2024 season that fell well short of expectations,

00:09the Atlanta Braves are expected to be one of MLB's busiest teams this offseason.

00:15One major area of need? Shortstop.

00:18MLB.com's Mark Feinsand recently linked Atlanta to Bo Bichette,

00:22the Toronto Blue Jays all-star who's expected to headline a thin shortstop market.

00:26After leading the AL in hits in 2021 and 2022 and making his second-career all-star team in 2023,

00:35Bichette had a nightmarish 2024.

00:38This season, Bichette looked like his old self,

00:40leading the league with 181 hits before a left-knee sprain ended his regular season, Feinsand wrote.

00:47With a thin shortstop market, he'll be in position to score big in free agency.

00:51Potential fits. Blue Jays, Braves, Tigers.

00:54Atlanta hasn't had a true two-way shortstop since Dansby Swanson departed after the 2022 season.

01:02Since then, the Braves have struggled to find stability at the position,

01:06cycling through internal options without consistent production.

01:10Bichette, 26, offers the kind of contact ability and steady defense that could immediately stabilize the infield.

01:15In 2025, before his injury, he hit .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs, and an 840 OPS across 139 games,

01:26elite numbers for a shortstop.

01:28According to reports, Bichette is projected to command an eight-year deal worth around $186 million,

01:34or roughly $23.3 million annually.

01:38His market could push closer to $200 million, especially with limited alternatives available.

01:45Still, the Braves have payroll flexibility and a competitive window built around Ronald Acuna Jr.,

01:50Austin Riley, and Matt Olson.

01:52Adding Bichette could solidify one of baseball's best cores for the next decade.

01:57If Alex Anthopoulos is willing to spend aggressively,

02:01Beau Bichette might be the exact kind of addition that resets the Braves' trajectory after a lost season.

02:06We'll see you next time.