Bo Bichette. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Mets improve lineup, agree to deal with free agent Bo Bichette

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Jan 16, 2026 1:05 PM ET

When all signs pointed to the Philadelphia Phillies landing free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, the New York Mets swooped in and stole him away from their division rival.

According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon, the Mets and Bichette have agreed to a a three-year, $126M contract. The deal is pending a physical. Per Sammon, Bichette will likely be the Mets' starting third baseman.

After outfielder Kyle Tucker signed with the world-champion Los Angeles Dodgers on a four-year, $240 million contract, Bichette opted to also go with a short-term deal with a high AAV ($42M). Bichette had a bounce-back season in 2025 after an injury-plagued 2024, tying his career high in batting average (.311) and notching over 180 hits (181) for the third time in his career.

Bichette suffered a knee injury at the tail end of the season, which kept him out for the majority of the Blue Jays' run in the playoffs until he came back in the World Series.

Breaking: The New York Mets and Bo Bichette are in agreement on a three-year deal, pending physical, league source tells The Athletic.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) January 16, 2026

Bo Bichette is a suitable replacement for the Mets after losing Pete Alonso

After Mets icon first baseman Pete Alonso decided to sign with the Baltimore Orioles (five years, $155M), the Mets needed to add another star player to their roster to complement their franchise player, Juan Soto. With Bichette's contact ability — 83rd percentile for landing the sweet spot of the bat on the ball — and ability to get on base (.357 in 2025), signing him can be seen as an improvement over Alonso, who is strictly a power hitter.

The Mets are looking to redeem themselves after they collapsed down the stretch last season (28-37 after the All-Star break) and compete with the Phillies for the National League East title. With a decent pitching staff (18th, 4.03 ERA) and adding to an already deep lineup that includes Soto (.263 average, .525 OPS), Francisco Lindor (.267, .811), and Mark Vientos (.233, .702), the Mets have the makings of a championship-caliber team.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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