A number of teams (and their fan bases) have already turned their attention to the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking a look at the players who will be available at each position.
We move to the shortstop, where one man clearly stands out above the rest of the pack, although even he comes with notable question marks. The market behind him will be shaped by some key option decisions. The stated ages apply to the 2026 season.
Previous entries in this series: catcher, first base, second base, third base
Top of the class
Bichette will enter free agency at a relatively young age and is coming off a strong season. Outside of an injury-marred 2024, his offense has been consistently above average. Through the end of 2023, he had a .299/.340/.487 line and 126 wRC+. He has never taken many walks, but is also difficult to take out. He had a 143 wRC+ in his brief debut in 2019, but then sat in the 120-129 range in four consecutive seasons.
As mentioned, he struggled with a number of injuries while playing last year. The end result was a .225/.277/.322 line and 70 wRC+. This year he was healthy until recently and back to his old self. He finished 2025 with a .311/.357/.483 line and 134 wRC+.
There is no doubt about the bat, but there are other questions. Bichette’s defense has never been highly regarded. Defensive Runs Saved has given him a career grade of -19. Outs Above Average puts him at -32. His 2025 season resulted in -12 DRS and -13 OAA. These numbers this year were both last among shortstops.
Then there are the health issues. Bichette has now dealt with lower-body injuries for three straight seasons. Injuries to his right knee and quad put him on the injured list at the end of 2023. Last year it was mainly his right calf that caused him problems. This year he suffered a sprain of the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a collision with the Yankee catcher Austin Wellsas seen in this clip from MLB.com. He’s been out for more than a month now, having missed the end of the regular season and all of Toronto’s postseason run so far.
In recent years there have been strong everyday shortstops such as Willy Adames, Dansby Swanson, Javier Baez And Trevor story have earned guarantees in the $140-$182 million range. Bichette is a better hitter than anyone in that group when they hit free agency. He is also a year younger than all of them were. The questions about his defense and health should hinder him somewhat, but he should still have plenty of earning power. Maybe not many clubs consider him a viable shortstop, but the bat is good enough that it might not matter. Marcus Semien was paid $175 million to move to second base and Bichette could follow that path.
Two big option decisions
Kim can opt out of the final year of his contract, which would leave $16 million on the table. He’s not having a great season, hitting just .234/.304/.345 for a wRC+ of 82. However, at least he’s healthy. He was guaranteed a two-year, $29 million guarantee last season even though he was recovering from shoulder surgery and would miss the start of the season. He’s unlikely to land a big deal, but there should still be a two-year opt-out contract available for him, especially since there are so few viable alternatives on this list.
Prior to his shoulder surgery, he was having a strong run with the Padres. From 2022 to 2024, he slashed .250/.336/.385 for a 106 wRC+ while stealing 72 bases and providing quality defense at several positions. FanGraphs credited him with 10.5 Wins Above Replacement over those three seasons, a pace of 3.5 WAR per year. He didn’t return right away in 2025, but maybe he can find new gear now that he’s further away from the operation.
The story may be in Kim’s inverse position. He had a better season in 2025, but has fewer arguments to opt out. He had about league-average offense this year, but that includes a slow start after three injury-marred years. Once he got into a groove, he stayed in it. He had a .216/.260/.326 line and 59 wRC+ through the end of May, but dropped to .289/.334/.492 for a 124 wRC+ starting in June. He also stole 31 bases that year.
However, his defense was rated poorly and he is about to turn 33 years old. He has two years and $55 million left on his deal. Despite his strong season, his age and injury history could deter teams from investing in him. He might be tempted to activate the opt-out because that would force the Sox to decide whether or not to keep him by activating his 2028 club option. But considering his contract looked like an albatross just a few months ago, the Sox might be happy to let him walk. They could try Marcelo Mayer in short and then use Story’s money to redraw Alex Bregman or add pitching.
Multi-positional types
Castro had a few solid years with the Twins, but his production dipped at the worst time. He slashed .251/.334/.395 for a 107 wRC+ over 2023 and 2024 while stealing 47 bases and bouncing around the diamond. His numbers this year were right at that pace until he was traded to the Cubs. After the trade, he hit .170/.245/.240 for a wRC+ of 40. That awful finish will hurt his earning power and he’s not strong enough to be an everyday shortstop anyway. But he can play there in a pinch, while he could essentially be an option anywhere else. It doesn’t have much juice, but even light nut types have value. The Blue Jays gave Isiah Kiner Fear $15 million over two years heading into 2024, for example, and IKF has never had an above-average offensive season.
Speaking of which, that two-year pact is expiring, which means IKF will be back in attendance this winter. The Jays traded him to the Pirates last year, but got him back via a waiver claim here in 2025. He hit .266/.302/.356 for a wRC+ of 84 over the course of the deal, but was still worth 2.8 fWAR thanks to his 26 stolen bases and strong glovework at several positions. He is currently getting quite a bit of playing time from a club on the cusp of the World Series. It’s not the most exciting profile, but IKF is a more viable defensive shortstop than Castro. Given the lack of options on the market, someone should be able to find a role for him.
Rojas has said he plans to retire after 2026 and hopes he can stay with the Dodgers for his final season. He’s been pretty solid in recent years, hitting .273/.328/.404 for a 105 wRC+ while remaining a viable defender in the field. If not the Dodgers, another club would like to use him in a similar bench/utility role.
Candidates for a Minor League deal
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