Hours after striking out on the top free agent in this year’s class, the Mets went and secured the next best thing.
New York again showed off its greatest asset, owner Steve Cohen’s wallet, by spending exorbitantly on two-time All-Star infielder Bo Bichette on a reported three-year, $126 million deal with opt-outs available after each of the first two seasons. Bichette, who led the majors in hits in 2021 and 2022 and enjoyed a bounceback 2025 season after a down year at the plate in 2024, is the Mets’ fifth major free-agent addition this winter, joining closer Devin Williams, infielders Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco and reliever Luke Weaver.
It’s been a busy offseason for Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who took a sledgehammer to the team’s core earlier this offseason. But less than a month out from the start of spring training, there’s still work to be done in Queens and around the league.
Here are our takeaways:
1. Mets get their impact bat
About 12 hours after Kyle Tucker passed over Steve Cohen’s extravagant offer, the Mets swooped in and finally got their impact bat in Bo Bichette. After Tucker went off the market, the 28-year-old Bichette was the next best free-agent hitter left. And even though the former Blue Jays infielder was expected to go to the Phillies on a long-term deal, the Mets increased their offer to a whopping annual average value of $42 million, surpassing his projected AAV by more than $15 million. It’s a massive overpay by the Mets, who were becoming increasingly desperate to bolster their lineup’s lack of thump after slugger Pete Alonso went to the Orioles in free agency.
Still, in an offseason that’s been in need of good news, the Mets deserve credit for doing whatever it takes to land a young hitter who can mash — Bichette has a career slashline of .294/.337/.469 and OPS+ of 121 — at the short-term commitment they always wanted. They were never publicly connected to Bichette the way that they were for Tucker, and a USA Today report indicated that the Phillies believed their seven-year, $200 million offer was enough to land Bichette as late as Thursday night.
Now, the combination of Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, and Bichette is getting closer to addressing the offensive production the Mets lost from Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil. They still need to fill their void in the outfield, as it’s hard to believe top prospect Carson Benge will be on the Opening Day roster. They still need to boost their rotation, the main reason they missed the playoffs last year.
And, with Bichette expected to play third base — even though he’s never even logged a single professional inning at the hot corner — they have a logjam in the infield that could push Brett Baty to left field or out of New York in a trade. Polanco, too, was signed to play mostly at first base, with some reps at designated hitter. In the end, the Mets’ stated goal of improving their run prevention this offseason is being addressed by spending a combined $166 million on two players, Polanco and Bichette, who have never played at their respective positions. The Mets are banking on their athleticism to overwhelm any learning curves, and it just might work. –Thosar
2. How will the Blue Jays move on without Bichette?
(Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
As much as it hurts Blue Jays fans to officially lose their homegrown shortstop to the Mets, the team was headed toward a breakup after Toronto signed infielder Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year deal this offseason. It was even less likely a reunion with Bichette was on the table after the Blue Jays were heavily linked to Tucker, reportedly the only club to offer the outfielder a long-term deal. Even with Tucker slipping away, they’ve still had one of the best offseasons in baseball after acquiring Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Tyler Rogers and Okamoto to strengthen their intention of repeating as American League champions.
After the departure of Bichette, who will be remembered forever in Toronto for his electric three-run home run off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, Ernie Clement figures to spend most of his time playing second base, with Addison Barger in right. Losing Bichette’s regular production is still significant for Toronto, and they’re expected to keep spending to fill his void in the lineup. The Jays should be in the mix for free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, who has remained the Yankees’ top priority this offseason, though the two sides are in an extended standoff. Now that three of the top four free-agent bats (Tucker, Alex Bregman and Bichette) are off the board, there are fewer options for contenders to pivot to. –Thosar
3. The Phillies are already pivoting
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
At the outset of free agency, Philadelphia did not seem like one of the most obvious fits for Bichette. They have shortstop Trea Turner locked up through 2033. They have a strong second base defender in Bryson Stott. And they have Alec Bohm, who’s under one more year of team control, at third. But the benefits of employing Bichette and his bat outweighed any potential obstacles, which is why the two sides met earlier this week and seemed trending toward a deal.
As Deesha alluded to, USA Today reported that the Phillies had agreed to Bichette’s request for seven years and $200 million Thursday night when the Mets, fresh off losing the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, made a higher-AAV, shorter-term offer that caused Bichette to change course. With the Mets’ deal, Bichette can test the market again entering his age 29, 30 or 31 seasons and could once again be one of the top position players available at that point, especially if he builds on his bounceback 2025 season.
The Phillies would have had to do some roster reorganizing had they signed Bichette. The most obvious move would have been trading Bohm, and it might have also meant moving on from longtime Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto. Now, it seems much more likely that Bohm stays put. And in the hours after Bichette’s decision, the Phillies and Realmuto have already reportedly agreed on a return. After what was expected to be a winter of change in Philadelphia, things are shaping up to look a lot more similar than they could have. – Kavner
4. After losing Alex Bregman, where does Boston turn to?
After missing out on power bats in Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso early in free agency, the Red Sox still had a chance to appease the fanbase by bringing back Alex Bregman, who looked like a perfect fit in Boston. After all, what was the point in trading away Rafael Devers and his long-term deal for just one season with Bregman?
But they swung and missed.
And now with Bichette going to the Mets, Boston’s best contingency option after losing Bregman is also off the table. If they still want to try to upgrade at third base rather than handing the reins to 23-year-old former top prospect Marcelo Meyer, who was a below league-average hitter last year in his first MLB season, Eugenio Suárez is still available and could have a field day mashing bombs over the Green Monster.
But a year after employing both Rafael Devers and Bregman as third-base options, they have neither. And, at least as of now, they still have no established replacements for those All-Star departures a year after finishing 15th in home runs and ninth in OPS. They’ve upgraded their rotation significantly this winter and should still contend in the menacing AL East, but this winter’s offensive whiffs will still be difficult to justify. – Kavner
5. The Tucker deal lit the flame to MLB’s hot stove. So, who’s left?
(Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Less than a month away from teams reporting to spring training, Tucker and Bichette — arguably the two most highly-coveted position players on the market — as well as the top catcher on the market were still unsigned. Then, in a 24-hour dash, that changed.
Tucker’s staggering four-year, $240 million deal, which gave him the highest present-day average annual value in MLB history, forced the Mets to turn their attention immediately to Bichette. Then, Bichette’s signing spurred the Phillies to bring back Realmuto.
The dominoes have finally started falling, and suddenly the top of the position player market has thinned out. Bellinger lingers as possibly the last nine-figure bat on the board, and the price only figures to increase after the Tucker and Bichette deals. A return to the Yankees, who brought back Trent Grisham but have otherwise had a quiet offseason, still makes a lot of sense. But it would be foolish to count out any of the teams who missed out on Tucker, including the Blue Jays. Teams in need of power could turn to Eugenio Suárez, while Framber Valdez, arguably the top starting pitcher available this winter, and former All-Star Zac Gallen still remain available. – Kavner
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Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.
Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
