The New York Mets were expecting much more from Bo Bichette.
Surely, Bichette was expecting much more from himself. But thus far, he hasn’t been able to turn his struggles around.
Given the infielder’s 86 OPS+ and -0.1 bWAR, New York’s offseason contract with the two-time All-Star appears to be a mistake. There’s no saying whether Bichette can revert to the caliber of player he was with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bichette is earning $42 million in 2026 and has a player option for 2027. FanSided’s Chris Landers wrote on Tuesday that if the Mets were to field trade interest in the right-handed hitter, they would have a difficult time finding suitors.
“If the Mets would like to wash their hands of this high-priced mistake, though, they could be out of luck. It’s hard to justify handing a starting infield job to Bichette given the way he’s hitting right now, even if New York decides to sell at the deadline,” Landers wrote. “His offensive profile has been alarming, and he doesn’t defend well enough to be a valuable player when he’s not hitting. These two are stuck with each other, at least for a few more months.”
There’s little to no incentive for Bichette to turn down next year’s salary if he cannot make major improvements at the plate. There’s a slim chance he secures anywhere close to the current contract he has with the Mets.
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Of course, Bichette could opt to take that route if he felt it was best for his career, putting the money aspect aside.
The Mets were hoping for more from him. A lot more. For now, the organization will bank on Bichette being a part of the solution to their woes.