Many teams (and their fans) have already turned their attention to the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is an important part of preparation, so it’s worth paying attention to the players available at each position.
We’ll turn to shortstop, where there’s one guy who’s clearly above the rest, though he also carries obvious question marks. The market behind him will be determined by several key options decisions. Ages listed are for the 2026 season.
Previous entry in this series: Catcher, first base, second base, third base
Top of class
Bichette will hit free agency at a relatively young age and have a strong season. Barring an injury in 2024, his offense has been above average. By the end of 2023, he was posting a .299/.340/.487 line and a 126 wRC+. He never walked a lot, but was also hard to strike out. He posted a 143 wRC+ in his brief debut in 2019, but has since gone 120-129 in four straight seasons.
As mentioned, he struggled last year while playing through multiple injuries. The end result was a .225/.277/.322 line and a 70 wRC+. This year, and until recently, his body was back to where it was before. He finished 2025 with a .311/.357/.483 line and a 134 wRC+.
There’s no doubt about the bats, but there are other issues. Bichette’s defense has never been highly rated. His career run defense rating is -19. An above-average number of outs gave him a -32 rating. His DRS for the 2025 season is -12 and OAA is -13. Those numbers are dead last among shortstops this year.
And then there’s the health stuff. Bichette has been hampered by lower-body injuries for three consecutive seasons. Right knee and quadriceps injuries put him on the injured list at the end of 2023. Last year, it was mainly his right calf that gave him problems. This year, he sprained the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a collision with a Yankees catcher. Austin Wellsas shown in this video from MLB.com. He’s been out for more than a month now, missing the end of the regular season and all of Toronto’s playoff games to date.
In recent years, strong everyday shortstops such as Willie Adams, Dansby Swanson, Javier Baez and Trevor Storey Guaranteed in the $140-$182MM range. When they entered free agency, Bichette was a better hitter than anyone in the group. He is also a year younger than all of them. Questions about his defense and health should hurt him a bit, but he should still be plenty earning power. Maybe not many clubs consider him a viable shortstop, but the bat is good enough that it probably doesn’t matter. Marcus Semien Gaining $175MM to move to second base, Bichette could follow that path.
Two major choices
Kim can opt out of the final year of his contract, which means $16MM is left. He wasn’t having a great season, with a wRC+ of 82 and hitting just .234/.304/.345. But at least he’s healthy. He was guaranteed two years worth $29 last offseason even though he was recovering from shoulder surgery and expected to miss the start of the season. It’s unlikely he’ll land a massive deal, but he should be able to get another two-year opt-out deal, especially with so few viable alternatives on this roster.
He was outstanding with the Padres before undergoing shoulder surgery. From 2022 to 2024, he slashed .250/.336/.385 with a 106 wRC+ while stealing 72 bases and providing quality defense at every position. FanGraphs rates him 10.5 wins over replacement over those three seasons, which equates to 3.5 WAR per year. He’s not back on track right away in 2025, but now that he’s out of surgery, maybe he can find a new gear.
The story could be said to be in King’s opposite position. He’s having a better season in 2025, but has less reason to opt out. His offense this year has been roughly league average, but he’s off to a slow start after three years of injuries. Once he gets into a groove, he stays in it. By the end of May, he was slashing .216/.260/.326 with a 59 wRC+, but starting in June he slashed .289/.334/.492 with a 124 wRC+. He also stole 31 bases this year.
However, his defensive rating is poor and he’s about to turn 33. He has two years and $55MM left on his contract. Despite his stellar season, his age and injury history could scare teams away from investing in him. He may be tempted to trigger the opt-out, as it forces the Red Sox to decide whether to retain him by triggering his 2028 club option. But with his contract looking heavy just a few months ago, the Red Sox might be happy to let him go. they can try Marcelo Maier In short, then use Story’s money to re-sign Alex Bregman Or add pitching.
Multiple location types
Castro had a few solid years with the Twins, but his production struggled at the worst possible times. He hit .251/.334/.395 with a 107 wRC+ in 2023 and 2024 while stealing 47 bases and bouncing around the diamond. His numbers continued at that pace this year before he was traded to the Cubs. Post-swap, he hit .170/.245/.240 with a 40 wRC+. This poor performance will diminish his earning power, and he’s not a strong enough defender to be an everyday shortstop. But he can play there in a pinch while also essentially being an option elsewhere. He doesn’t have a lot of abilities, but even a lightweight utility type has value. the blue jays gave Isaiah Keener-Falefa For example, the fee is $15MM over the two years before 2024, and IKF has never had an above-average offensive season.
Speaking of which, the two-year deal is expiring, which means IKF will be back again this winter. The Jayhawks traded him to the Buccaneers last year but brought him back via waivers in 2025. At the time of the trade, he had an 84 wRC+ and hit .266/.302/.356, but still had an fWAR of 2.8 thanks to his 26 stolen bases and a stellar glove at every position. He’s currently getting a fair amount of playing time with the club on the doorstep of the World Series. It’s not the most exciting profile, but IKF is a more viable defensive shortstop than Castro. Considering the lack of options on the market, someone should be able to find a role for him.
Rojas said he plans to retire after 2026 and hopes to stay with the Dodgers for his final season. He’s been very consistent over the past few years, hitting .273/.328/.404 for a 105 wRC+ while continuing to be a viable defender. If not with the Dodgers, some other club would be happy to have him in a similar backup/versatile role.
Minor League Trade Candidates
