Bo Bichette Signing Seen in New York as Consolation Prize after Kyle Tucker Whiff

The New York Mets only signed Bo Bichette after they found out the Los Angeles Dodgers won the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes.

The New York Post's Dan Martin relayed as much, stressing the poor fit Bichette represents in the Mets lineup. After having never played third base, Bichette will have to move there with Francisco Lindor at shortstop.

Martin described NYM in somewhat desperate terms after the Dodgers stole their closer, Edwin Diaz, and gave Tucker $240 million to join the two-time defending World Series champions in the Chavez Ravine.

"The loss of Diaz to the free-spending Dodgers stung, and that was only made worse when they were outbid by Los Angeles again, this time for Tucker," Martin prefaced before saying, "And while Tucker fit the present Mets roster much better — he would have likely slid immediately into left field, a hole that still exists in Queens — Bichette is a tougher match.

"According to sources, the current plan is for Bichette, who has only played shortstop in his major league career with Toronto — and never played an inning at third as a pro — to take over at third base, with Brett Baty playing multiple positions."

Dodgers Making MLB Desperate to Stop Three-Peat

The Mets represent one of the biggest threats to the Dodgers' reign atop the MLB. Signing Bichette will make them better, at least offensively. It's not a signing that would've been made if the sport wasn't facing a lockout in 2027.

It's well-documented that Dave Roberts and the front office don't care about LA's competitors gaining any sort of ground, even if it means the sport takes a season off. Maybe even multiple seasons.

Nor should they. If Major League Baseball is headed for problems bigger in whole than the parts that could threaten what it has become, the Dodgers losing next year probably wouldn't stop if on its own.

Few sports have been worse at creating stars than the MLB. Since the dawn of launch angle becoming an important aspect of every clubhouse, home runs are back, and dominant pitchers still do their thing on the mound. Players are oftentimes lesser-known than collegiate athletes in the NIL/rev-share era.

The Dodgers at least give the league a villain, a storyline to sink your teeth into. The 2024 and 2025 World Series had much higher ratings than the years Los Angeles didn't make it.

Enjoy it while it lasts. There's nothing better across baseball, and there hasn't been in decades.