Skip to main content
Inside The Mets

Dante Bichette Gets Honest About Son Bo's Interest Playing in New York

Bo Bichette's father Dante addressed whether his son was eager to play in New York.
Grant Young|
New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette
New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York MetsToronto Blue JaysLos Angeles DodgersPhiladelphia Phillies

The New York Mets made one of the biggest splashes of last MLB offseason when they signed star infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal, which also featured a $40 million signing bonus.

This signing came shortly after the Mets missed out on signing Kyle Tucker, who instead agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Dodgers. And New York's quick pivot to signing Bo (who was reportedly on the cusp of signing with the Philadelphia Phillies before the Mets made him an offer he couldn't refuse) turned heads, if only because New York didn't need another infielder.

However, teams are wise to strike when the opportunity to sign a player as talented as Bichette arrives, regardless of whether it's the perfect fit. And that's exactly what Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns did.

New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19)
New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Because the Mets didn't necessarily need another infielder and already have Francisco Lindor playing shortstop, Bichette has been made to play third base, which is a new position for him.

Learning a new position, the short amount of time Bichette had to consider whether he wanted to join the Mets, the fact that the 28-year-old had spent his entire professional career playing in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization (where he was fresh off an appearance in the World Series), and his contract having a player opt-out option after one year made some fans wonder if Bichette truly wanted to be with the Mets.

Dante Bichette Sends Clear Message About Son Bo Wanting to Play in New York

Bo isn't the only member of his family to play professional baseball. His older brother Dante Bichette Jr. is in the minor leagues, and his dad, Dante Sr., played in the big leagues from 1988 to 2001.

Dante Bichette spoke with Mike Puma of the New York Post for an interview that was published on March 17, and asserted that Bo, "has always wanted to try [playing in New York]."

Dante added that Bo has believed that if one can succeed playing in New York, they could succeed anywhere. And the added eyeballs and attention that comes from playing in New York "was attractive" for Bo in the decision-making process.

Dante also said that he wished Bo had played in the United States at times during his Toronto tenure because he believes he would have been a bigger star.

Therefore, it sounds like Bo has been eager to play in the Big Apple.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published | Modified
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

Home/News