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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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Perhaps no Major League Baseball player's free agency will be more fascinating to follow this winter than Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette.
A two-time All-Star who is gunning for his third American League hits crown this year, Bichette has proven he can bring the lumber as well as any shortstop in baseball. His glove, however, leaves plenty to be desired.
Virtually every defensive metric rates Bichette as a bottom-five shortstop in baseball, and his lateral quickness is diminishing every season. So as he hits the open market, the question is how many teams will see him as a long-term solution at his current position.
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Perhaps there's only one answer, and perhaps that will be a determining factor in the 27-year-old's trip to the open market.
On Tuesday, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted that Bichette would stay in Toronto this winter, especially if he decides he wishes to remain a shortstop for the foreseeable future.
"Given his poor defensive metrics, there's a chance the Blue Jays might be the only team willing to offer up a massive contract to Bo Bichette this winter without the stipulation of him moving to a less demanding position," wrote Reuter.
"If staying at shortstop is a priority, they might have the upper hand to bring him back, and the club's success this year coupled with the (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) extension also makes a reunion more likely."
Entering play on Tuesday, Bichette was slashing .311/.357/.483, leading all of MLB in hits (181) and doubles (44). Will there really be no other team willing to cave to his request to play shortstop, assuming that request is made in the first place?
Then again, Toronto is the only big-league home Bichette has ever known, and winning a championship with Guerrero has been his stated goal for years. If the money is there, the Blue Jays have to be the clubhouse leaders.
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