Bo Bichette's potent bat joins the New York Mets in Queens, bolstering the infield. David Stearns aims for a postseason resurgence after missing out on Kyle Tucker.
The New York Mets are in agreement with star infielder Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126 million deal, multiple sources reported on Friday.
The deal comes not even 24 hours after the Mets missed out on the top free agent, Kyle Tucker, in this winter’s class. Missing out on their first target clearly hasn’t slowed down President of Baseball Operations David Stearns in his pursuit to return New York to the postseason after a dreadful 2025 collapse.
Bichette is coming off a season with the Toronto Blue Jays in which he batted .311, hit 63 extra-base hits, and drove in 94 runs. His final slash line on the season read .311/.357/.483 with an OPS of .840. His 3.5 WAR placed him as the fourth most valuable Blue Jay last season on their way to a World Series appearance.
With Bichette heading to Queens, the Mets have plenty of quality in the infield, with players like Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, and the newly signed Jorge Polanco. Bichette’s addition makes the infield somewhat crowded, but the Mets will certainly find a way to make room for the two-time All-Star.
Bichette’s bat is one of the best in baseball, putting him in the 86th percentile for batting run value, but he isn't much of a contributor on defense. In that category, Bichette ranks in just the 4th percentile among qualified shortstops. For a Mets team that has been intentional in improving its defense this offseason, the Bichette deal is a bit contradictory. Perhaps with the several infield options, the Mets will use Bichette primarily as a designated hitter, a spot he’s only played 31 games at during his seven-year career.
If not a designated hitter, there are other options in how the Mets can get the most out of their star-studded infield. Bichette played second base for the first time in his career in the World Series. In the Fall Classic, Bichette played some of his best baseball yet, going eight for 23 with a home run in seven games.
Since the news came out, it has been revealed that the plan is to put Bichette at the hot corner. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza certainly has his work cut out for him in making the infield reach its highest potential, but the Mets needed some additional star power badly.
After losing out on first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz, the Mets had yet to bring in one of baseball's biggest names in return. Now, with Bichette’s $126 million deal, the Mets are back on track for making a postseason run in 2026. Hopefully, for Mets fans, this won’t be the final splash of the offseason as they still need to address other key areas on the roster. For now, Mets fans will enjoy the addition of one of baseball’s premium bats.