In the end, the New York Mets weren’t angling for an infielder or outfielder, a starter or reliever.
They wanted a star, wherever he fit.
In Bo Bichette, the Mets found a star player willing to take the short-term, high-salary contract they preferred to issue this winter. Bichette’s three-year, $126 million deal contains opt-outs after each of the first two seasons and does not include any deferrals. It’s tied for the sixth-highest average annual value in baseball history; of the seven players signed for at least $42 million per season, four have come to terms with the Mets (Bichette, Juan Soto, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander).
It’s a pivot from Thursday night’s loss of Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers, as stunning as it was swift. Bichette had not been publicly linked to the Mets all winter; if any aspect of New York’s roster appeared set, it was the infield. Still, only 14 hours after Tucker signed his massive four-year deal with Los Angeles, New York was finalizing its agreement with Bichette — stealing him away from a potential deal with the rival Phillies in the process.
The speed of the Mets’ pivot revealed the depth of their preparation. The Mets’ talks with Bichette began at the GM meetings, league sources said. Not knowing what to make of their chances with Tucker, the Mets met with Bichette via video within the last week. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza’s relationship with Bichette stretches several years (Mendoza managed Bichette’s brother in the minor leagues).
That history informed the Mets’ quick turn to Bichette. They knew he was open to the kind of short-term deal they’d worked on with Tucker. They view him as an excellent fit for their lineup, both because of his right-handed bat and his consistently high batting average. (Bichette’s .311 average last season would have led the Mets by 39 points.) In one of his meetings with the Mets, Bichette demonstrated how much he cares about grinding at-bats and being a tough out with two strikes, emphasizing that approach as crucial to winning games, as it had been for the pennant-winning Blue Jays last season.
New York believes Bichette can handle third base because of his good hands, even though he’s never played the position professionally. The club is optimistic that Bichette’s strong work ethic and personality help him make a smooth transition defensively; after all, he did make an on-the-fly shift to second base during last year’s World Series.
Scouts question Bichette’s arm for third base. One evaluator, however, said Bichette’s arm may play better at third base if he learns how to approach different angles. Footwork is also important. He will need to learn when to retreat and when to come in. The Mets are hopeful that Mendoza’s experience in the infield, plus the presence of bench coach and infield guru Kai Correa, helps Bichette.
“Great kid. Gonna work,” said one scout familiar with Bichette.
And the Mets emerged from their meetings with Bichette believing that he was an elite clubhouse presence, people with knowledge of the club’s thinking said. That is important for a club that has acknowledged its clubhouse was lacking something — energy, grit, cohesion — in 2025.
The move obviously displaces Brett Baty, whom the Mets had said publicly would receive the majority of playing time at third base to start the season. After a few difficult seasons to start his major-league career, Baty had broken out over the final months of the 2025 season. In the second half of last season, the 26-year-old hit .291 with a .353 on-base percentage and .477 slugging percentage.
The Mets still view Baty as a valuable piece of their roster. He has some experience in left field, and he proved capable of quickly learning an entirely new position when he was introduced to second base in 2024. Of course, if the Mets are looking for a more established outfielder or a starting pitcher, Baty would represent a helpful trade chip.
But Bichette is a star. And that, as much as anything else, was what the Mets felt they needed.
“He is,” as one team source put it, “exactly the type of guy we want on our team.”