The Mets were willing to set salary records to bring in this winter’s top free agent, outfielder Kyle Tucker. Unfortunately for them, the world champion Dodgers were eager to do the same, agreeing to terms with Tucker to a shocking four-year, $240 million contract. The Mets, though, wasted no time in regrouping, reportedly adding Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126 million contract only about 13 hours after Tucker’s decision.
Prior to Tucker’s decision, the Phillies had emerged as the favorites to sign Bichette, who was willing to move off his natural position of shortstop in order to land a bigger contract.
The Phillies had agreed to Bo Bichette’s request for a 7-year, $200 million deal last night and believed they would sign him until the Mets swooped in with their 3-year, $126 million offer after losing out in in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 16, 2026
The Phillies were probably going to play Bichette at third base and trade Alec Bohm had they come to terms. The Mets, likewise, intend to use Bichette at third, displacing likely starter Brett Baty.
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D.J. Short
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What’s the deal?
Bichette’s $126 million deal includes opt outs after each season and no deferred money. If things go well for him in Queens, it’s likely he’ll go right back on the market again in search of a long-term deal next winter. He’ll even get a $5 million buyout for doing so. At that point, he’ll no longer have a qualifying offer hanging over his head, which will be at least a little helpful.
Where do the Phillies go from here?
Dominoes are already falling, as Bichette’s money is reportedly being redirected to keeping J.T. Realmuto on a three-year, $45 million contract. Not that the Phillies couldn’t have made both moves, but they probably did get a little more generous with their longtime catcher with Bichette off the board.
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If the Phillies are willing to keep spending, there’s one more big free agent left on the board in Framber Valdez. One of the game’s top groundball pitchers, Valdez seems like the perfect replacement for Ranger Suárez in homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park. Unfortunately, he’s still due to cost more than Suárez, who one imagines would have gotten a new offer from the Phillies if he hadn’t just signed a five-year, $135 million deal with the Red Sox.
What does the Mets’ lineup look like now?
The Mets clearly needed a No. 2 or No. 3 hitter to pair with Juan Soto behind Francisco Lindor. Bichette doesn’t offer the same kind of power as Tucker, but he does add some balance as a right-handed bat to complement the left-handed Soto.
1. Francisco Lindor (S) – SS
2. Juan Soto (L) – RF
3. Bo Bichette (R) – 3B
4. Jorge Polanco (S) – 1B
5. Mark Vientos (R) – DH
6. Brett Baty (L) – LF
7. Francisco Alvarez (R) – C
8. Marcus Semien (R) – 2B
9. Carson Benge (L)/Tyrone Taylor (R) – CF
Baty has some experience in left, but if the Mets aren’t comfortable with him out there, they could let him and Vientos battle in out at DH. That could also hinge on how well Benge plays this spring. The Mets’ No. 1 position prospect is expected to contend for a job after hitting .281/.385/.472 at three minor league levels last season. He’s most experienced in center and could start there, but most believe he fits better in a corner. The Mets still might want to add an outfielder who could help in center, though pickings are pretty slim after Harrison Bader and he still figures to command a nice multi-year deal.
What about the Blue Jays?
The Blue Jays were one of the three finalists for Tucker, but they didn’t seem to be a fit for Bichette any longer after signing Kazuma Okamoto to play third base. Maybe they’ll get into the mix for Cody Bellinger now, but their lineup looks pretty nifty as is.
Fantasy value up/down
DOWN: Bo Bichette
Bichette in Citi Field will be pretty interesting. While the ballpark plays pretty well in terms of homers, it hurts BABIP, which is Bichette’s biggest strength. If not for his late season knee injury, Bichette would have led the AL in hits for a third time last season and made a run at 50 doubles (he had 44 in 139 games). Maybe he’ll add a few homers on the Mets and batting next to Soto is an upgrade even over Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but a .300 average seems unlikely. His numbers likely would have been somewhat better in Philadelphia.
DOWN: Mark Vientos
Everything could still work out fine for Vientos if he gets off to a hot start and establishes himself as the Mets’ everyday DH. Still, his 2025 was pretty discouraging — besides the middling .233/.289/.413 line, he ranked in just the 36th percentile in terms of bat speed (down from 73rd in 2023 and 50th in 2024) — it might be that he doesn’t belong in the team’s lineup against right-handers.
UP: Alec Bohm
It’s still not quite a lock that Bohm will remain in Philadelphia, but unless they suddenly take a liking to Eugenio Suárez, the Phillies seem to have run out of big upgrade opportunities. A Bohm trade likely would have hurt his fantasy stock, since he’s currently in a nice ballpark and has a chance to bat cleanup.
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