Latest Bo Bichette Report Could Shake Up MLB Free Agency

The New York Mets infielder is going to have the chance to opt out after the season.

Jun 5, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) runs after hitting a double during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The New York Mets landed one of the best overall offensive infielders in baseball this past offseason in Bo Bichette, although he hasn't had the season that he likely wanted to have so far.

Bichette has played in 71 games so far this season and is slashing .239/.285/.361 with a .646 OPS, eight homers, 40 RBIs, nine doubles and 36 runs scored. This is a far cry from what he did in his final season with the Toronto Blue Jays last year. He played in 139 games and slashed .311/.357/.483 with an .840 OPS, 18 homers, 94 RBIs, 44 doubles and 78 runs scored.

When Bichette is at his best, that is the player he is. Plus, he's just 28 years old. But he has struggled in New York so far this season after signing a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets with opt-outs for the next two seasons.

Bichette has not played up to the standards of that contract yet and has a lot of money on the table over the next two seasons, but USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that teams around the league expect that Bichette will opt out of the deal.

Bo Bichette Could Shake Things Up In Free Agency

Jun 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) hits a solo home run in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

"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," Nightengale wrote. "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.

If Bichette becomes available, that will shake up the infield free agent market across Major League Baseball. Outside of Bichette, the other top available infielders will be guys like Gleyber Torres, Luis Arráez, Alec Bohm, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Brandon Lowe, among others. When Bichette is at his best, he's the clear top option of this group.

If he does actually opt out, then that will impact the rest of the infield market because Bichette would clearly be the prize, so then it would delay the market of other infielders as teams try to sign Bichette. Nightengale specifically mentioning the Phillies is interesting. Philadelphia was connected to Bichette throughout the offseason, but the Mets got the deal done. A return to the Toronto Blue Jays could arguably be a fun option for the two-time All-Star. The Boston Red Sox are another team that has to do something.

It's early to be thinking about free agency, but it sounds like a star could be heading back to the market after the season.