Fresh off of missing out on top free agent Kyle Tucker — thanks to being outbid by the Dodgers, the Mets quickly turned to Bo Bichette and agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal, with opt-outs after the first two years — The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed Friday.
It comes during an alarmingly quiet offseason in Queens, in which their all-time home run hitter, Pete Alonso, left for Baltimore without a fight and their closer Edwin Diaz went to the Dodgers after failing to re-sign him.
Losing Diaz to the free-spending Dodgers hurt, and that only got worse when they were outbid again by Los Angeles, this time for Tucker.
And while Tucker was a much better fit on the current Mets roster — he likely would have immediately slid to left field, a hole that still exists in Queens — Bichette is a tougher match.
According to sources, the current plan is for Bichette, who has only played shortstop in his Major League career with Toronto — and never played an inning at third base as a pro — to take over at third base, with Brett Baty playing multiple positions.
That’s after they signed Jorge Polanco to a two-year deal, primarily at DH and perhaps Mark Vientos initially, even though Polanco has only made one Major League appearance at the spot and Vientos only started a dozen games there.
They improved their infield defense by trading for elite second baseman Marcus Semien in exchange for Brandon Nimmo in a deal with Texas earlier this season.
What is not in question is the quality of Bichette’s bat – when it is healthy.
The 27-year-old has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, suffering a sprained left knee in September that landed him on the IL and forced Bichette to miss most of the postseason.
He also dealt with a strained right calf in 2024, a broken finger and a quad injury in ’23, all of which led to IL stints.
But the two-time All-Star, and son of former Major Leaguer Dante Bichette, is one of the best hitters in the game.
He led the American League in hits twice and bounced back from a rough 2024 with a solid performance last year.
Bichette will be one of several new faces at Citi Field as President of Baseball Operations David Stearns continues to transition the roster.
In addition to losing Alonso and Diaz in free agency and trading Nimmo, the Mets also sent Jeff McNeil to the A’s.
They offered Tucker a four-year, $220 million contract before Tucker went to the Dodgers for an additional $20 million, as the outfielder became the latest star to head to Hollywood on a team that looks practically unbeatable.
Even with Bichette, the Mets still need an outfielder and Cody Bellinger remains available as of Friday afternoon, with the Yankees and the outfielder still interested in a reunion.
The Mets also need a starter at the top of the rotation, with their key additions to the pitching staff having been Luke Weaver and Devin Williams.
#Mets #Bichette #million #deal #surprise #free #agency #pivot