The Mets didn’t waste much time pivoting after Kyle Tucker slipped through their fingers and landed a massive deal with the Dodgers. Less than 24 hours after missing on the All-Star outfielder, New York made a bold move of its own, inking free agent infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal. There are opt-outs baked into the contract, so it’s possible Bichette’s stay in Queens won’t last the full term-but for now, the Mets have added a major piece to their lineup.
And they needed one. With several key bats from last year’s roster gone via trades and free agency, the Mets were searching for another offensive anchor to pair with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. Bichette, a proven hitter with postseason pedigree, checks a lot of boxes.
Bichette arrives in New York after spending his entire career with the Toronto Blue Jays. Drafted in the second round back in 2016, he debuted in 2019 and quickly became one of the faces of the franchise alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Over seven seasons in Toronto, Bichette slashed .294/.337/.469 with 111 home runs and 437 RBIs, good for a career 122 wRC+ and 20 wins above replacement (fWAR). He’s been a steady, productive presence at the plate, and when healthy, he’s been one of the more consistent offensive shortstops in the game.
Last season was a reminder of just how impactful Bichette can be when he’s on. He hit .311/.357/.483 with 18 homers and 94 RBIs, posting a 134 wRC+-his second-best mark behind only his electric 2019 debut.
He tallied 3.8 fWAR despite missing the final month of the regular season and most of the playoffs with a knee sprain. But when he returned in time for the World Series, he made it count.
In seven games, Bichette hit .348 with a .444 on-base percentage and drove in six runs, putting up a 165 wRC+ on baseball’s biggest stage. That kind of postseason performance doesn’t go unnoticed-especially for a Mets team looking to reestablish itself as a contender.
Of course, Bichette’s not without his flaws. Just one year before that breakout, he endured the worst season of his career.
In 2024, he hit just .225/.277/.322 with only four home runs in 81 games. His 70 wRC+ was 30% below league average, and he was worth just 0.3 fWAR.
But that season was riddled with injuries, including two separate IL stints that disrupted any chance of finding rhythm. When healthy, Bichette has proven he can hit.
The key will be keeping him on the field.
He’s also never been a big walker-his career walk rate sits at just 5.7%, though he did post a solid 6.4% last year-and while his strikeout rate has hovered around 19.4% for his career, he cut that down to a personal best 14.5% last season. That’s a good sign for a player who’s starting to evolve at the plate.
The downside? His speed is trending in the wrong direction.
He ranked in the 21st percentile in sprint speed last year, a far cry from his early-career athleticism.
Then there’s the defense. Bichette has played almost exclusively at shortstop throughout his career, with the exception of a brief stint at second base during last year’s World Series.
His defensive metrics have been inconsistent at best, and last season he was worth -13 Outs Above Average (OAA) at short-a glaring red flag. His best defensive seasons came in 2020 and 2024, both shortened years, when he posted just +1 OAA.
But here’s where things get interesting: the Mets plan to move him to third base. With Francisco Lindor holding down shortstop and Marcus Semien providing support up the middle, Bichette won’t be asked to cover as much ground.
His arm has never been the issue-he’s posted a neutral run value there over his career-it’s his range that’s been the problem. At third, with less territory to patrol and elite defenders around him, there’s a chance he could settle in and hold his own.
On paper, Bichette might look like just another middle infielder on a roster that already has a few. But shifting him to third unlocks some much-needed flexibility for this lineup.
More importantly, it gives the Mets another dangerous bat in a lineup that’s being retooled on the fly. After a winter of turnover and uncertainty, Bichette brings a mix of playoff experience, offensive upside, and positional versatility that could go a long way in reshaping the Mets' identity.
There’s risk here, sure. Bichette has had his ups and downs, and third base is a new challenge. But the upside is clear: if he can stay healthy and replicate anything close to last season’s production, the Mets just added a difference-maker to their infield-and maybe even to their clubhouse.