Last offseason, the New York Mets signed Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal.
The deal included player options of $42 million for 2027 and 2028. The hope for Bichette was that he would simply have a dominant season, and he could opt out in search of a longer deal. However, he did not play his best and is exercising his player option for 2027, per The Athletic's Will Sammon.
Bichette, a two-time All-Star and career shortstop, moved to play third base for the Mets. During his seven-year run with the Toronto Blue Jays, he led the American League in hits twice and was a stellar offensive player outside of 2024.
For the Mets, he did not live up to his price tag. He slashed .260/.312/.390. His strikeout percentage was higher this year, and he was lacking some slug. He did manage to hit 18 home runs, but overall it was a disappointing year for him.
Now, the Mets will have to hope he works hard in what is an uncertain offseason to get back to the player he was with the Blue Jays. When he's going right, he is one of the best hitters in the game.
It's no surprise that he is opting into his deal. He knew he did not have a good year and would be foolish to turn down $42 million to return to the Mets. However, he will still want to turn things around so he and the Mets can get back into the postseason.