New Bo Bichette prediction indicates Mets could be left scrambling for lineup help

Infielder Bo Bichette became a key contributor for a New York Mets team that went from 47-66 on the morning of Aug. 3 to 68-78 heading into Friday's series opener at the New York Yankees. 

Bichette signed a three-year, $126M deal that included opt-outs after the first and second campaigns to join the Mets this past offseason. He has not yet publicly confirmed or denied what he plans to do within five days of the end of the World Series, but ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan now seems to think there's a legitimate chance that Bichette will choose to join this year's free-agency class.

Why Bo Bichette could opt out this coming fall

"The Mets owe Bichette $84M over the next two years," Passan wrote for an article published on Thursday. "If he opts out, he will get a $5M buyout and hit free agency again going into his age-29 season, hopeful that the mediocrity of the rest of the class makes him stand out in ways he didn't last winter." 

Bichette has spoken openly throughout 2026 about how he struggled to adapt to featuring for a New York baseball club earlier this year. He then ended an 0-for-16 slump on June 3, and he has since looked more like the player who earned a pair of All-Star nods while with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2019-25. 

Specifically, Baseball-Reference shows that Bichette slashed .305/.351/.474 with an .825 OPS, 11 home runs and 45 RBI over 83 games from June 3 through Sept. 9. Meanwhile, the Mets have no immediate Bichette replacement for their big-league lineup, and Passan mentioned that the talent in this year's free-agency class "is not exactly overwhelming." 

Why Bo Bichette may not opt out

"If he chooses to stick with his salary of $42M a year -- by every measure a top-five salary in the sport -- no one could blame him, particularly with an early slump dragging down his season-long numbers," Passan added about Bichette. 

Passan also said that he believes Bichette will opt out, "but it's genuinely a coin flip." Perhaps Bichette will ultimately feel he fits in too well with what the Mets became after this year's trade deadline to leave the club after only one season.