Bichette Reportedly Plans to Pick up 2027 Mets Option

WHO:

Newsweek - Bo Bichette is a New York Mets third baseman.

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette is a two-time All-Star.

MLB Trade Rumors - Will Sammon of The Athletic reported Bichette’s option decision.

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette’s contract is with the Mets; Francisco Lindor is expected to play alongside him on the left side of the infield.

WHAT:

Sportskeeda - Mets fans expressed frustration that eight players have eight-figure contracts, including Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco.

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette received mixed defensive reviews after moving to third base.

Newsweek - Bichette decided to exercise his player option for the 2027 season after the World Series.

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette will remain with the Mets for 2027 and receive a $42 million salary.

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette’s three-year contract guarantees $126 million, with an average annual value of $42 million, tied for the sixth-largest in MLB history.

MLB Trade Rumors - He can opt out after 2027 or exercise another $42 million player option for the contract’s final season. Either opt-out includes a $5 million buyout, deferred for 10 years.

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette hit .260/.312/.390 with 18 home runs in 696 plate appearances in his first Mets season. FanGraphs valued his season at about two wins above replacement; Baseball Reference rated him below one WAR.

MLB Trade Rumors - After carrying a .219/.275/.308 line into June, Bichette hit .284/.333/.439 with 13 home runs over the rest of the season. His final Toronto season line was .311/.357/.483.

MLB Trade Rumors - The Mets tied for 20th in scoring and ranked in MLB’s bottom third in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging.

MLB Trade Rumors - The Mets had no major-league free agents with option decisions that year; Bichette’s was their only option decision.

WHERE:

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette’s first Mets season was in Queens; he previously played for Toronto.

WHEN:

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette will be 30 when he can reconsider testing the free-agent market after the 2027 season.

WHY:

MLB Trade Rumors - The Braves picked up Ronald Acuña Jr.’s option because buying him out would have saved only $7 million, and his $10 million buyout would likely have applied only in the event of a career-altering injury.

MLB Trade Rumors - Ozzie Albies’ $7 million option was an easy call because he hit 22 home runs and would have exceeded that guarantee on the open market.

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette’s option decision involved weighing a two-year, $84 million commitment against opting out; his contract’s opt-outs gave him added flexibility.

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette’s disappointing season made opting out less attractive. The article says his performance in the preceding season is the biggest factor in a player’s opt-out decision.

MLB Trade Rumors - The Mets’ offensive needs and Bichette’s contract made a trade difficult: the team would likely need to cover a significant part of his contract to attract trade interest.

HOW:

MLB Trade Rumors - Bichette bypassed his first opportunity to opt out of the three-year deal, retaining the option to reconsider after the 2027 season.

Bo Bichette will stay with the Mets in 2027, exercising his $42 million option. He hit .260 with 18 home runs in his first Mets season, but improved after a slow start. His contract lets him reconsider free agency afterward.