Bo Bichette has chosen to stay with the New York Mets. Bichette will reportedly exercise his $42 million player option and not explore the free-agent market amid the impending lockout and the uncertainty of CBA negotiations. As Bichette put the speculation about his future to rest for now, a former Mets player and general manager spoke about how Bichette’s decision benefits the team and David Stearns.

“This is a huge piece for the Mets, and for David Stearns to know that he is going to be there in the middle of the lineup, more towards the top of the lineup. And I’m really looking forward to seeing Juan Soto and Lindor and Bichette in the same lineup. Hopefully for a lot more games than we did this year,” said Jim Duquette, per SNY Mets.

“He spoke about this, and so did Juan Soto and Lindor, about how excited they are for the young talent. I think keeping Bo Bichette is a great piece of news to kick off the winter for the New York Mets.”

Following the Toronto Blue Jays’ World Series run and subsequent defeat in 2025, Bo Bichette left the team on free agency. Ahead of the 2026 season, Bichette signed a 3-year, $126 million deal with the Mets as their new third baseman. His contract contains two player options he can exercise after the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

The two-time All-Star initially struggled to adjust to the new clubhouse and the pressure of playing in New York. His production at the plate also plummeted during his first season with the Queens team. But Bichette’s offense stabilized in the latter months.

“He started to get more comfortable after the first 50 or 60 games in New York,” noted Duquette on SNY Mets.

“The last 100 games, roughly OPS almost 800, showed the power, showed the defense. I would say average defense, at least over at third base.”

With Francisco Lindor being the Mets’ shortstop, Bichette became the team’s new third baseman.

After playing shortstop throughout his tenure with the Blue Jays, it was a major adjustment for Bo Bichette. He played 113 games at third base and recorded 5 errors.

Bichette finished the regular season hitting .260, the second-worst batting average in his career, with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs. But over his final 114 games, he reportedly batted .281 with 16 home runs and a .772 OPS.

Beyond his bat, Bichette grew more comfortable in Queens as the year progressed and took on a mentorship role for the team’s younger players, including prospects like A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge.

However, last season, Bichette played the highest number of games (160) in his career.

Earlier in the season, Bichette had spoken about his desire to stay with the franchise.

“I signed here for three years. The opt-outs, any player would love them, to have control of their future, whatever the case might be, where they want to be, if they want to search for something else,” Bichette had told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic in May. “I don’t know. But when I signed here, I took it as a three-year deal.”

The Mets also recorded a bad season.

After missing out in the postseason last year, the Mets overhauled their entire roster, including the coaching staff, ahead of 2026. But the overhaul did not produce the desired results, as the Mets finished last in the NL East with a losing record (74-88).

The Mets struggled from the beginning of the season.

A 12-game losing streak in April derailed their season early. As the Mets turned sellers during the trade deadline, they traded Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Tyrone Taylor. Following the disappointing season, the Mets announced that no one is safe this offseason.

However, Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Bichette, Carlos Benge, and AJ Ewing are among the exceptions.

In 2027, Bichette will join a lineup featuring Soto, Lindor, Benge, and Ewing. Despite an up-and-down 2026 campaign where the Mets struggled in the NL East, Bichette chose to remain in Queens rather than test free agency, keeping the core of the lineup intact. This time, the New York Mets would want to experience the Blue Jays’ version of Bo Bichette, who led the team to the World Series in 2025 and recorded a crucial three-run homer.

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