Red Sox Praised for Avoiding Mets' Latest $126 Million Commitment

Did Boston dodge a bullet?

Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Bo Bichette (11) runs the bases after hitting a three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

In the immediate aftermath of the Boston Red Sox losing the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, everyone's first thought for a potential pivot was Bo Bichette.

It was long rumored that the Red Sox would treat Bichette as Plan 1B, as they'd met with him in December and clearly needed an impact bat in the infield. However, the Red Sox only waited four days to instead sign starting pitcher Ranger Suárez, taking much of the money they would have had to save for Bichette off the table.

Bichette agreed to a deal with the New York Mets on Friday, with the transaction becoming official on Tuesday evening. His three-year, $126 million contract includes opt-outs after years one and two, making it essentially the updated version of what Bregman got from Boston.

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Red Sox dodged a bullet with Bichette's contract?

On Wednesday, The Boston Globe's Chad Finn gave the Red Sox credit for passing on Bichette, who was projected to sign a much larger contract over significantly more years, but may wind up putting his new team in even more of a long-term bind if he departs after only a year.

"When the news broke that Bo Bichette had signed with the Mets on a three-year, $126 million deal, I was curious why the Red Sox didn’t offer something similar," Finn wrote. "And then the details came out, including that Bichette can opt out after 2026, basically making this a one-year, $46 million deal.

"No thanks on that. As the Bregman situation confirmed, opt-outs are the scourge of team-building."

At the time Bregman signed his deal with the Red Sox, which was only 11 months ago, Boston had two multi-time All-Star third basemen. They now have none, as Bregman's arrival started the cycle of discontent that led to the Red Sox trading Rafael Devers, who signed the largest contract in franchise history, to the San Francisco Giants.

In fairness, the Red Sox still have a gaping hole in the infield, and the Mets' situation is inherently different than Boston's due to their owner's willingness to write enormous checks. But was one guaranteed year of any infielder worth the Red Sox's time this offseason?

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