infielder bo bichet and this New York Mets Sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday that they agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract.
Sources said the deal, which is pending materialization, includes an opt-out and no postponement after the first and second seasons.
Mets miss out on top free agent kyle tuckerwho is ready to join Los Angeles Dodgers On a four-year, $240 million contract. Sources told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers this week that New York had offered Tucker a short-term deal worth $50 million per season.
Bichette nearly had an iconic end to his 2025 season with a three-run homer in Game 7 of the World Series. toronto blue jays Before the Dodgers went on a run to win the game and the title.
Bichette, who will turn 28 in March, was the youngest of the MLB veterans to hit free agency this winter. He had a strong bounce-back season offensively in 2025, hitting .311 with 18 home runs and 3.8 WAR, which was in line with his career statistics except for a down season in 2024, when his production dropped to a .225 average, 4 home runs, and 0.3 WAR.
A sprained knee ligament at the end of the regular season kept Bichette out of the first two rounds of last year’s playoffs before returning for the World Series, where he had a .923 OPS.
Bichette was made a qualifying offer of $22.025 million by the Blue Jays, which he rejected. Because he is signing with a new team, Toronto will receive a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round.
According to Baseball Savant, Bichette’s defensive metrics reached a career-worst minus-10 runs last year due to his range. He played exclusively at shortstop during the regular season but was at second base in the postseason.
His age and track record will help balance out concerns about his condition, durability and a poor 2024 season. And his playoff performance was a reminder that when healthy, he is one of the better players in baseball.
The Athletic first reported the Mets’ agreement with Bichette.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel contributed to this report.
