What the Mets Could Do at Third Base If Bo Bichette Opts Out

Most of the Mets' potential free agents were dealt away at the trade deadline. However, one notable decision the Mets could face this offseason could come if Bo Bichette opts out of his contract.

Aug 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) throws to first base to retire Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Bryan Reynolds (not pictured) during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The trade deadline did a lot of work clearing out the New York Mets' pending free agents. With Freddy Peralta, Brooks Raley, and Clay Holmes (among others) shipped out, the Mets have very few actual free agent calls to make at the end of the regular season.

Two of the more notable calls involve options. While the Mets have to decide whether to pick up the $20 million option on Luis Robert Jr.'s deal for 2027, Bo Bichette controls his own fate as he can opt out of the remaining two years on his contract.

Bichette has been a disappointment for the Mets for most of the year, batting just .264 with 11 home runs, 60 RBI, and a .688 OPS in 119 games. While things were quite bad for Bichette in April and May, he has quietly become more productive over the past two-plus months.

Over his last 72 games, Bo Bichette is hitting .298/.337/.449 with 14 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, and 41 RBI with 85 hits and 38 runs scored. #Mets

— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) August 10, 2026

While Bichette has indicated his desire to stay at various points of the season, the economics of baseball cannot be ignored. The position player class is extremely weak in free agency, with top players like Jazz Chisholm Jr. having down years.

If Bichette finishes strong, he would be incentivized to opt out and test the free agent market again in hopes of securing a long-term deal. Leaving $84 million on the table is quite risky, but without a qualifying offer attached to him, Bichette's market could be more lucrative if he shows signs of his former self down the stretch.

What are the Mets' internal options at third base if Bo Bichette opts out?

There is a good news/bad news dynamic internally if Bichette opts out, since the Mets could put Brett Baty back at his natural position and have a cheap solution there. The problem is that Baty has been quite mediocre this season, batting .215 with eight home runs, 38 RBI, and a .616 OPS in 109 games.

Putting Baty back at third would also mean the Mets would be relying more on Marcus Semien as the everyday second baseman, which is not an ideal situation given Semien's own struggles. Platooning the two at second would appear to be the best option to get the most out of both players.

New York Mets second baseman Brett Baty could be an option at third base next season if Bo Bichette opts out of his deal. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There isn't much on the immediate horizon to help the Mets at third from the farm either. Ronny Mauricio has experience at third but hasn't shown a lot in his big-league opportunities, making it highly unlikely the Mets would entrust the hot corner to him in a year when they want to win.

Some of the recent Mets' trade acquisitions could be longer-term fits at the hot corner, including Jefferson Rojas, Cole Mathis, Billy Amick, and Sammy Stafura. None of those players is currently above AA; however, betting on one of them to jump right to the majors is not advisable.

Who are the top free-agent third basemen?

The phrase "not great, Bob" would apply here. Bichette would immediately become the top free-agent third baseman on the board as the rest of the group includes uninspiring options like Eugenio Suarez, Alec Bohm, and Yoan Moncada.

The Mets could theoretically sign one of them as a stopgap at third to buy time for a prospect, but they would not come close to replacing the production Bichette offers in the middle of the batting order. Trading for a potential third baseman would also be an option, but those deals are expensive in terms of prospect capital.

What should the Mets do if Bo Bichette opts out?

The answer here is fairly obvious. It should be to give Bichette a new contract. Even though the first two months of the season went poorly for Bichette, he has shown signs of being part of the solution lately, and there are no good replacements for his production on the open market.

David Stearns has been quite hesitant to hand out long-term deals while running the Mets, but Bichette is only 28 years old, and a five-year contract would cover most of his prime years. Getting that deal done would be the most practical way for the Mets to try and contend next season.

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