As it gets closer to decision time for Bo Bichette with his New York Mets contract, there will be two paths discussed intensely.
On the one side, Bichette can choose not to opt-out of his contract, which is a choice he has built into his current deal. That would mean he gets paid $42 million for 2027, and then it leaves open the chance for him to either opt-out next season or get paid $42 million in 2028.
On the other side, Bichette can opt-out and become a free agent.
There’s one path, though, that could exist that no one is really talking about. It may be the least likely of the three, but it’s something worth considering.
Alternate Bo Bichette Path
The two most-discussed outcomes here basically suggest that Bichette either plays 2027 on his current Mets contract, or he goes elsewhere on a new deal.
What if he could go somewhere else on his current deal?
Say, if Bichette wants to ensure he makes $42 million in 2027, but he and the Mets don’t exactly feel like a perfect fit for one another.
Think about the alternate scenario that could exist here.
It would require two prongs — Bichette would still have to choose not to opt-out, but he’d do it with the understanding with the Mets that they’d explore a trade.
It actually has the potential to benefit the Mets. Instead of Bichette opting out and them losing him for nothing, they still don’t have to pay him $42 million next season but could get an asset in return.
It’s a bit like an NHL or NBA sign-and-trade, a move that really doesn’t exist in baseball — but because Bichette is already under contract and would just be choosing not to opt-out, it’s a different situation that works under the same train of thought.
Potential Hold-Ups
There are a couple potential issues with this, of course.
The first is that there’d have to be another team who wants Bichette to play for them next season for $42 million, and potentially in 2028, as well. If there are no interested suitors, then this would never get off the ground.
The Mets would also have to want to move off Bichette. Just a year after bringing him aboard, maybe they’d prefer that he take a do-over.
And then there’s Bichette himself. While it seems unlikely he could do better than his current deal in free agency coming off a down year, you never know what a player might think. Maybe he opts out anyway.
It just makes sense to consider all the options here, and this unconventional, inverse-style mirror of a sign-and-trade could actually happen, too.
Mets’ Bo Bichette $42 Million Decision Has an Undiscussed Path