Less than 24 hours after losing out on Kyle Tucker, the New York Mets agreed to terms with free agent infielder Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126 million contract. The deal includes opt-outs following the first two seasons, as first reported Friday afternoon by Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Bichette, 27, is coming off his seventh season with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he helped them reach the 2025 World Series. He hit a towering home run during Game Seven, before they went on to lose to the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who happened to sign Tucker. Bichette tallied 181 hits, 18 home runs, 94 RBI and 44 doubles last season. His 59 hits with runners in scoring position led the majors last season with a .391 average. He has a career .330 average and a .904 OPS with runners in scoring position.
Bo Bichette will cross over to the NL East, joining Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto at the top of the Mets lineup. He will play third base, a position he has never played, so that he can fit into an already crowded infield. He became a free agent earlier this offseason, turning down the Blue Jays qualifying offer of $22.025 million.
The Philadelphia Phillies pursued Bichette and agreed to his request for a seven-year, $200 million deal, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The Phillies were expected to sign him until the Mets sent in their short-term offer.
Readjusting a Crowded Infield
With Bichette on the roster and expected to play third base, the Mets’ infield has become even larger. Earlier this offseason, they traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien. The Mets later signed infielder Jorge Polanco to a two-year deal.
The front office will have to make a decision on whether it’s worth trading infielders Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio. There were clubs that have shown interest in Baty and Vientos, but the Mets weren’t willing to move on from them.
With Bichette on board, they could be more willing to trade either player for an outfielder. The Mets have been linked to Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox. If they are willing to trade for him, it would mean moving on from Baty and a pitching prospect.
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