The Detroit Tigers are one of the top teams in baseball this season, and in the American League, they are neck-and-neck with the Toronto Blue Jays for the top spot in the conference.
Both teams are strong, but might be losing some talented players this offseason to free agency. Detroit has Gleyber Torres hitting free agency, which could open a huge hole in the middle-infield with the uncertainty at shortstop.
But, to plug one of those middle-infield holes, Mark Feinsand and Keegan Matheson of MLB.com believe that the Tigers could steal the Blue Jays' top free agent. That player is shortstop Bo Bichette, who is the current MLB hits leader.
Tigers are the 'biggest threat' to Blue Jays in keeping the MLB hits leader in Toronto
"The Tigers make a lot of sense to me; a young, up-and-coming team with payroll flexibility," Feinsand writes, "a terrific manager and a division that should be winnable for the foreseeable future."
Bichette's free agency will be an intriguing one, as the Blue Jays might not face too much competition for the shortstop, thanks to his subpar defense and questionable hitting in 2024.
But that season, where he had a 70 OPS+, is looking to be an outlier down-year for Bichette. He has a 127 OPS+ in 2025, the second-highest he's had in a season since 2020.
Matheson agreed with Feinsand that the Tigers are a top threat to sign Bichette in free agency. Detroit has a hole in its middle-infield, and whether they decide to bring Bichette in as a shortstop or second baseman, it's a feasible outcome for Detroit.
Of course, with Tarik Skubal's massive free agency right around the corner, the Tigers might have been careful with their money. But landing a player like Bichette would be a great addition to the lineup, especially if Torres departs in free agency.
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Bichette is banged up heading into the final weeks of the 2025 season and will likely be out until the postseason starts. But, before his injury, through 139 games, Bichette was hitting .311 with 181 hits, 44 doubles, both leading all of Major League Baseball.
His .840 OPS on the year is a strong number, and something worth buying into. Despite a massive down year in 2024, his production soared back to where it's normally been, and Bichette's proven he's a solid hitter at worst.
While his defense leaves a lot to be desired, the Tigers can accept such a negative if he can bring such prolific offense to a position the Tigers haven't found success in over the last few years.
"But if there's one team I see as the biggest threat to the Blue Jays," Feinsand writes, "It's the Tigers.
Bichette's free agency market will be an interesting one, and both Feinsand and Matheson identified the Tigers as a realistic team that could swipe him from the Blue Jays this winter.
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