New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette is expected to opt out of his contract with the team this offseason, according to an MLB insider.
It has not been a good first year in New York for Bichette, who signed a three-year, $126 million free-agent deal with the Mets during the offseason after leaving the Toronto Blue Jays.
In his first season with New York, Bichette is hitting just .236 with a .644 OPS and an 80 OPS+, which is 20% below league average. He has also been worth -0.5 bWAR, so he has been a below-replacement-level player.
This year, Bichette makes $2 million in salary plus a $40 million signing bonus. The next two seasons, he also gets $42 million per year, but he has an opt-out clause for each year and can control his fate.
If he exercises his opt-out clause this summer, Bichette will get a $5 million buyout, essentially making this year’s deal a one-year, $47 million pact.
Given his mediocre performance so far this year, it’s risky if Bichette turns down the remaining two years, with $84 million left on his deal. But it appears that’s what his plan is.
Bo Bichette Expected to Opt Out of Mets Contract
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, rival MLB clubs expect that Bichette will exercise his opt-out clause and forgo the remaining two years on his current Mets contract to test the free agent market again this offseason.
“Teams expect New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette to opt out of the final two years of his Mets contract after the season, giving clubs like the Philadelphia Phillies a second shot at him. It could be a massive gamble for Bichette considering he’s still owed $79 million. He is earning $2 million this year after already being paid a $40 million signing bonus, and if he opts out, he will be paid an additional $5 million,” Nightengale wrote in his latest Sunday column.
The Mets might actually be okay with this, as Bichette has not really lived up to his expectations so far this season. By removing his $42 million AAV from their books, the Mets can pick up different players who might end up being better fits in the team’s lineup.
Then again, the Mets could also hope that Bichette bounces back in year two and may want him to stick around. But ultimately, it will be up to him as he holds all the cards with his opt-out clause.
Bo Bichette Would Be Taking a Big Gamble
If Bichette does opt out, he would be taking a huge gamble that another team would offer him anywhere close to the $42 million AAV that the Mets offered him.
When Bichette signed this contract last offseason, most thought it would be a one-year deal where Bichette would be a pair mercenary for the Mets, have a great season, and then pick up another big, guaranteed contract next offseason.
But after a down year in New York, it’s certainly no guarantee that will be the case for him.
His agents might just be hoping that he beats the two years and $84 million he has left, and in that case, it could be worth it.
For example, he might try to get a five-year, $150 million deal at a $30 million AAV instead.
But still, it’s risky after the season that he’s going through.
We’ll see what happens this offseason, but it appears that Bichette might be one-and-done in New York.
Bo Bichette Expected to Opt Out of Mets Contract This Offseason