There have been no reports publicly linking the Mets to Bichette. According to Will Samson of The Athletic (subscription required), Bichette didn’t suit up for the Mets until earlier this month.
Bichette significantly changes the complexion of the Mets’ new-look roster, and the move seems likely to have dire consequences in the next few weeks as the baseball calendar focuses on spring training.
We answered the four remaining questions facing the Mets after Bichette’s shocking deal.
How will Bichette handle third base?
At the start of the offseason, much of the speculation surrounding Bichette’s free agency revolved around his position: Would teams look to him as a shortstop or as a second baseman? The Mets didn’t seem like a likely destination for Bichette because both of those positions are in Queens: one for Francisco Lindor and the other for Marcus Semien, who was acquired in December’s one-man trade for Brandon Nimmo.
So, the Mets thought of something else entirely.
First it’s important to note that Bichette doesn’t fit as a strong defensive shortstop; if he did, he probably would have signed to play shortstop somewhere. Last season, Bichette had a -13 strikeout average, tied for second-worst in the Majors. Using Statcast’s value metric, he recorded just one season with a good FRV, and that came in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Bichette hasn’t played much second base, either. In fact, he hadn’t played a single inning at second base in the Majors before a knee injury forced him to switch positions in the World Series.
So how can Bichette fit into third base? Much of this is unknown: He has never played an earned inning at third base. (It’s also worth noting here that the Mets signed Jorge Polanco to play first base, although Polanco recently one voice with work experience instead.)
But back to Bichette: His arm strength was out of the 36th percentile in MLB last season. As The Athletic’s Eno Sarris first pointed out, that’s the same arm strength of Alex Bregman, one of the premier defensive third basemen. Similar to shortstops moving to second base, there are also many precedents when it comes to shortstops sliding to the right. Last season, Carlos Correa landed third base after being traded back to the Astros, although Correa — who won the Platinum Glove in 2021 — has a better defensive record than Bichette.
Baty’s long-awaited breakout season was one of the Mets’ biggest highlights last year. He held the third-best daily average and set career highs across the board, including 18 home runs and 3.1 bWAR. He has also worked hard to become an above-average defender, accumulating +4 OAA at third base over the past two seasons.
It certainly looked like Baty, a 2019 first-round and top-100 pick, had finally cemented himself as an important part of the future — and the present. In November, David Stearns acknowledged that, saying Baty is “probably the guy we can pencil in for the third key next year.”
But things are changing fast. In the past two months, the Mets have added three veteran players, a glut that could take Baty out of playing time. The Mets could still hold on to Baty, perhaps wary of Bichette retiring after the 2026 season. According to Heyman, the Mets see Baty playing all over the diamond in 2026. Maybe that includes first base, where Baty could be a fail-safe. Or maybe he’ll see time in left field, helping to fill a glaring hole the Mets have yet to address. Baty has played a total of 30 games in the outfield in his Minor League career.
Or, the Mets could decide to trade Baty, who could be an attractive trade chip; He enters his 26-year-old season having already been in charge of the club for four years. In addition to Baty, the Mets also have Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuña, and Ronny Mauricio on the 40-man roster. Right now, without changing positions, there aren’t enough at-bats to go.
What are they doing with the outdoor arena?
One of the main reasons the Mets were aggressive in their pursuit of Kyle Tucker — eventually offering a four-year, $220 million contract — was because of fit. Although primarily a right fielder, Tucker would fill a pressing need in left field, left vacant after the team traded Nimmo for Jeff McNeil earlier this season. Currently, the Mets only have four outfielders on their 40-man roster.
Feinsand reported that the Mets still aren’t sure whether to sign Cody Bellinger, the best pitcher left. But Bellinger’s camp is seeking a seven-year contract, which is inconsistent with the kind of short-term contracts that baseball president David Stearns has offered to most of New York’s top players.
Maybe outside help will come in, whether it’s from Baty or someone like Carson Benge — the organization’s No. 2 prospect and No. 1 prospect. 21 overall, per MLB Pipeline.
Benge, a first-round pick in the 2024 Draft, jumped three levels in the Minors last season and finished the year in Triple-A. It looks like he will make his MLB debut in 2026, his age 23 season. Stearns emphasized that the organization wants to make sure that young players have a chance to make an impact at the Major League level. Beyond Benge, that could include Jett Williams (association’s No. 3 prospect, No. 30 overall) and AJ Ewing (association’s No. 7 prospect), each with outside experience.
Or, maybe something similar will be done with trade. Earlier this offseason, The Athletic (subscription required) reported that the Mets were interested in Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar. Speculatively, maybe they could renew talks with the White Sox about Luis Robert Jr., who was a target at last year’s deadline.
Starting pitching was a major weakness for the Mets last summer as New York saw its postseason aspirations fade away. Currently, the Mets are not bringing in any outside reinforcements. That doesn’t mean the unit won’t be better in 2026. The Mets should benefit from Nolan McLean’s perfect season, while Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, and Christian Scott should contribute in some way.
However, there are additions that can be made.
The Mets are one of three teams reported to be in contact with lefty Framber Valdez, a legitimate starter with a career 3.36 ERA. Since 2021, Valdez has thrown the most innings (902 1/3) of all four starting pitchers while posting the ninth-best fWAR (18.3) on that team.
On the trade market, the Mets could be in a good position to deal with their glut of infielders. They have been linked to Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, who will be a free agent after the 2026 season; Peralta’s 2.70 ERA was seventh best among qualified pitchers starting in 2025. The Nationals have similarly been listening to lefty MacKenzie Gore, but controllable starting pitchers have proven to demand big releases this offseason, and Gore won’t hit free agency until 2028. An elephant, although it is still 2028. The Tigers traded the game’s leading pitcher, as the two sides head to a dispute hearing.
