Former Padres manager sees SF Giants as surprise fit for Bo Bichette

Could the SF Giants add veteran bat Bo Bichette this offseason? Count former San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt as among those who see the Giants as a surprise fit for the two-time AL All-Star.

Former Padres manager sees SF Giants as surprise fit for Bo Bichette

Shildt joined former big league pitcher C.J. Nitkowski on the Loud Outs podcast, where he made his case for Bichette joining San Francisco:

"The Giants would be really interesting. They have a spot there at second base. That’d be a heck of an infield, with [Matt] Chapman, [Willy] Adames, Bichette, and [Rafael] Devers. What a good fit, and fit for the ballpark. Line-drive stroke, good approach, uses the whole field."

Mike Shildt on Bo Bichette

Shildt knows Oracle Park well. He managed the Padres for the past two seasons, so he has spent plenty of time in San Francisco.

Despite leading San Diego to 90 wins and a playoff appearance in 2025, Shildt announced his retirement while still being under contract. He cited a desire to get away from the day-to-day grind of managing. Since then, the veteran skipper joined the Baltimore Orioles organization as a minor league coordinator. 

Bichette just completed a seven-year run with the Toronto Blue Jays. He nearly lifted them to an improbable World Series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, but they lost that series in seven games.

The Blue Jays deserve credit for their aggressiveness this offseason. They added Dylan Cease while also being one of the most active teams in free agency. Cease was arguably the top pitcher on the market.

The rotation is full, so they are now turning their attention to the lineup. Toronto could focus on retaining Bichette or adding power-hitting outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Bichette would be an interesting fit for the Giants, but there has been little substance connecting the two parties. The right-handed hitter brings quality bat-to-ball skills to the table, with a 19.4 percent strikeout rate and an 88.9 percent in-zone contact rate. That is a skill that the Giants are trying to build from the ground up, as they targeted contact skills in the 2025 MLB draft.

Bichette brings more than just contact to the table. He is a well-rounded hitter. He has slashed .294/.337/.469 (122 wRC+) with a 5.7 percent walk rate, 19.4 percent strikeout rate, and .175 ISO in his career. This includes an .840 OPS with 18 home runs and 94 RBI in 628 plate appearances in 2025. That is a good combination of on-base skills and power.

The 27-year-old infielder came up as a shortstop and has played every inning during the regular season at that position when he has not appeared at DH. However, he appeared at second base in the postseason.

That could be Bichette's long-term position, which is where the Giants have the biggest need in the infield. As Mike Shildt mentioned, the Giants already have a full infield consisting of Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers. They would have to weigh whether it makes sense to round out that unit for the foreseeable future by adding another long-term contract.