Bo Bichette will pick up his $42 million player option for 2027 and remain with the New York Mets, a source confirmed to ESPN. The decision brings him back to Queens for a second season as Major League Baseball enters an uncertain offseason following the World Series, with a lockout looming.
Bichette's salary for next season currently ranks among the six highest in the majors. The 28-year-old also has a separate $42 million player option for 2028. The Athletic first reported that he would exercise the option to stay with New York for 2027.
The Mets signed Bichette in January to a three-year contract worth $142 million after missing out on Kyle Tucker in free agency. They also moved the two-time All-Star from shortstop to third base, giving him a new defensive assignment alongside the expectations that accompanied his arrival.
His first months in New York were difficult on both sides of the ball. Fans booed Bichette at Citi Field during the opening series of the season, and he struggled to adjust defensively to third base. Through June, he was hitting .219 with five home runs and a .583 OPS, well below the .294 career batting average and .806 career OPS he had brought to the Mets.
Bichette's production improved over the final four months of the regular season. Across 101 games in that stretch, he hit .284, added 13 home runs and posted a .772 OPS. His defense at third base also improved. That recovery followed an opening stretch in which both his hitting and his transition to a new position had fallen short.
For the full season, Bichette finished with a .260 batting average, 18 home runs and a .702 OPS in 160 games. His 96 wRC+ put his offensive performance 4% below league average. The overall results left him short of expectations despite the improvement later in the year.
New York finished 74-88 and last in the National League East. Injuries to Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, along with disappointing performances from key veterans, hampered the offense despite encouraging debuts from rookie outfielders Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing. The Mets were firmly outside the postseason picture by July and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season while carrying the majors' second-highest payroll.
