Well, in the past 24 hours, two of the biggest free agent dominoes have fallen. After the reigning, defending, undisputed back-to-back World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers made yet another big free agent signing in Kyle Tucker, the New York Mets also made a splash.
Losing out on Tucker, the team pivoted to Bo Bichette. The 28-year-old signed a three-year deal worth $126 million, featuring $42 million per year, with opt-outs after year one and two. The signing instantly increases the Mets’ chances at a championship. How does this affect the team, division, and National League?
Bichette Makes the Mets Even Better
The 2025 New York Mets had an epic collapse in the last two months of the season. Entering August, the day after the trade deadline, the Mets were looking in great shape, fifteen games above .500 with a 62-47 record. Then they hit the iceberg in the dead heat of summer. In the months of August and September, the wheels fell off the wagon for the team in Queens.
Posting a 21-32 record the last two months of the season, the Mets failed to make the playoffs, barely being over the .500 mark. With the departure of first baseman Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason, the team looks to fill that void with Bo Bichette. Bichette will most likely start at third base, adding to a star-studded infield with Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, and Marcus Semien.
By the way, they still have a guy out in right field named Juan Soto. What are the Mets exactly getting with a guy like Bichette? You get a guy who can productively hit anywhere in the lineup. He is coming off a season where he hit .311 with 18 home runs. In a league and an era that doesn’t value batting average like years past, I would take a .300 hitter that puts the ball in play on my team any day.
Though he is a below-average defender, the pressure of being at shortstop will no longer be an issue. Bichette told interested teams in his free agency process that he would be willing to play third for the right team, and that’s exactly where he will play. He can also be a menace on the base paths. Although he only did it once, back in 2021, he stole 25 bases, proving you’d better pay attention to him when he reaches.
Are the Mets Contenders?
Without the epic collapse last season, the New York Mets were considered to be a contender for the World Series. Now with Bichette joining the lineup, they definitely have a chance of winning the NL East. The East will always have its three-headed monster at the top with them, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
It will come down, as usual, to who can stay the healthiest during the 162-game marathon. This is nothing new for fans of teams in the National League East. If it’s not the Dodgers or the New York Yankees, it seems like most of the big signings come out of that tough division. Let’s just say I am not envious of the Miami Marlins or the Washington Nationals. Good luck with your gauntlet.
Final Thoughts
As a Detroit Tigers fan, this signing hurts. Bo Bichette was on my ultimate wish list, but we all knew Chris Illitch was cheap. This signing for the Mets makes complete sense. You bring another professional hitter, who can show some pop to an already potent lineup. This could be the move that helps win the division and finally gives the Dodgers some competition in the National League Playoffs.
