Insiders offer contradictory theories regarding Yankees' intentions with Bo Bichette

We know one thing's for sure when it comes to the New York Yankees and Bo Bichette — the club has checked in on the free agent infielder, testing the waters and gauging where his market is at. Beyond that, though, things are fuzzy.

Typically, in these cases, we turn to insiders for the inside scoop, but in this particular case, we're provided more questions than answers. Depending on who you ask, you're going to hear that the Yankees are in hot pursuit of the former Toronto Blue Jays star, or that simply checking in is nothing out of the ordinary and is part of the due diligence every MLB general manager is tasked with this time of year.

So are the Yankees seriously pursuing a game-changing right-handed bat for their infield? Or are they muddying the waters for their competition? Let's parse through the reports from The Athletic's Yankees beat reporter Chris Kirschner and the same publication's MLB insider, Jim Bowden.

Chris Kirschner and Jim Bowden offer wildly different takes on the Yankees' interest in Bo Bichette

Kirschner appeared on Foul Territory and discussed Bichette. He stated that Cody Bellinger is the club's top priority, which should come as no surprise given how public their offers have been to the star outfielder. Kirschner also said, "I've heard that the Yankees interest in Bichette isn't really even that solidified."

Meanwhile, Bowden appeared on MLB Network Radio, stating that he's hearing from opposing GMs that the Yankees are "...pretty obsessed with adding a right-handed bat." He added, "Bichette makes a lot of sense for them to play second base, Chishom gets moved to third or even they maybe trade Chisholm."

Bowden seemed to imply that reuniting with Bellinger wouldn't take the Yankees out of the Bichette market, stating that the club is already very left-handed and would be more so if Bellinger re-signed, making Bichette more of a priority to balance the lineup.

He wrapped up his comments by saying that he still believes the two-time All-Star would prefer to go back to Toronto (which is where he's likely to end up), but the Yankees are a team to watch lurking in the weeds.

Those two takes couldn't be more opposed, and in cases such as this, it makes sense to side with the beat reporter. Kirschner is plugged in directly to the team, while Bowden, a former MLB GM, has his sources around the league. If Kirschner has heard that their interest isn't solid, it seems that he's probably right, and they're simply doing their due diligence as they would with any free agent.

Bichette's days at shortstop are likely over following a dreadful defensive performance in 2025. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has already come out and told teams he'd be willing to move to second base in hopes of drumming up a market.

That makes the Yankees' fit all the more questionable. Fans would certainly take Bichette at short over Anthony Volpe, but that has more to do with Volpe than a desire for Bichette, and they'll quickly find that the defensive liability he's become at the position is quite frustrating.

On top of that, he'd be more of a lateral move from Chisholm than an upgrade. Bichette produced a 134 wRC+ and 3.8 fWAR in 139 games in 2025. Chisholm logged nine fewer contests and a 126 wRC+, but posted a superior 4.4 fWAR thanks to his stellar defense and base running. While third base or a trade are options, that seems like far too many hoops to jump through, and if the Yankees can't thread that needle it could blow up in their faces.

Lastly, the notion that the club could sign both Bellinger and Bichette is laughable given what we've seen this offseason. The team doesn't have the appetite for that kind of spending, and Bellinger fits a need whereas Bichette doesn't. They've also been clear about their interest in Bellinger all along, while this Bichette dalliance seems like a way to drive up his price for the Blue Jays, or possibly the Red Sox, rather than a real desire to bring him into the fold.