New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette has an important decision to make this offseason. He can pass on the $42 million per season he’s owed over the next two years, $84 million in total, and opt out to become a free agent.
After a challenging start to the season, Bichette has found his groove with the Mets. Bichette has been batting .263 with 159 hits, 16 home runs, 74 RBIs, and 73 runs scored in 146 games this season, per StatMuse.
Nonetheless, the 28-year-old has been hitting .291 with 107 hits, 11 home runs, 46 RBIs, and 45 runs scored in 93 games for the Mets since June 1, per StatMuse. Will this production be enough for Bichette to consider opting out and testing the market again?
Mets Play-by-Play announcer Gary Cohen doesn’t believe so. Moreover, he predicts that Bichette won’t opt out.
“The other thing that will be very telling as far as how the Mets approach the offseason is whether Bo Bichette opts out of his contract,” Cohen said in a Sept. 17 video on SNY’s YouTube channel.
“My feeling is that he’s going to stay. I can’t see him getting the kind of numbers that he’s going to earn next year on the open market, and I think that over the last three or four months, we’ve seen how Bo has acclimated to being a Met, and he is certainly a big asset going forward.”
New York Needs to Find an Ace This Upcoming Offseason
Moreover, Cohen notes that aside from Bichette potentially staying, he would like for the Mets to finally land a No. 1 starter to anchor the rotation. Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Tarik Skubal will be a free agent this winter, but the question is whether the Mets are a serious suitor.
“They have pieces in the starting rotation that they didn’t have when the year began,” Cohen added. “That lessens the need for bringing in multiple starting pitchers, but there’s always room for an ace.
“Tarik Skubal obviously is the big prize out on the free-agent market, but whether it’s him or somebody else, the Mets have not really gone after that ace the last couple of years under David Stearns. I think that’s something that they may need to rethink. Even if you think of Nolan McLean as an ace, you still would like to have a veteran pitcher who can fill that spot.”
Bo Bichette Urged to Stay With the Mets
Meanwhile, another person urging Bichette to stay with the Mets is John Harper of SNY. He believes Bichette should look to opt in, since the infielder might not get $42 million per year over the next two years still left on his contract, per Spotrac.
Bichette could earn more than the $84 million remaining on his current deal, but he would need to sign a longer contract to do so.
“You’ve got the lockout coming,” Harper said in a Sept. 11 video on SNY’s YouTube channel. “You’re not sure what the salary structure is going to look like, if there’s a cap or not. I think that’s part of it too. [Bichette] has been good since the terrible start, but I was looking at it, and he’s not a superstar. He’s a really good offensive player [and] has got an under .800 OPS in the second half, when he’s done most of his best hitting.
“He doesn’t hit for a lot of power [and] he’s been a clutch guy again since the bad start, hitting almost .300 with runners in scoring position. To me, [$84 million] for the next two years; you can go out in the market after that [but] you’re not getting [$42 million] a year anymore. Now you’re getting a longer contract, but I would stick it out for these two years and then maybe take my chance.”
Mets Get Strong Prediction on Bo Bichette Amid $42 Million Decision