The Mets got their guy. Well, one of their guys, at least.
One day after slugger Kyle Tucker spurned the Mets’ offer and signed with the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers, New York agreed to sign infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year contract worth $126 million on Friday.
The 27-year-old Bichette fills a big hole in the Mets’ lineup after the team lost power-hitting phenom Pete Alonso to the Orioles in free agency. Bichette, a two-time All-Star, rebounded from a rough year in 2024 and batted .311/.357/.483 with 18 homers in 139 games last season for the Blue Jays. He missed most of September and the first two rounds of Toronto’s playoff run due to a knee injury before returning for the World Series and batting 8-for-23 (.348) with four walks, one homer and six RBIs against the Dodgers.
Bichette, who has been a shortstop his entire career, will likely slide over to third base in New York with Francisco Lindor occuping short at Citi Field. That puts Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, who split time at third base last year alongside utility man Ronny Mauricio, either on the trade block or platooning in the lineup.
Elsewhere in the lineup, the Mets also traded longtime outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers in exchange for Marcus Semien, and signed switch-hitter Jorge Polanco to likely take over at first base.
There’s still plenty of offseason left to work things out, but here is how the Mets’ Opening Day lineup could look like (as of Jan. 16):
Mets’ projected Opening Day lineup (vs. RHP)
| ORDER | PLAYER | POS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francisco Lindor | SS |
| 2 | Juan Soto | RF |
| 3 | Bo Bichette | 3B |
| 4 | Jorge Polanco | 1B |
| 5 | Marcus Semien | 2B |
| 6 | Brett Baty | DH |
| 7 | Francisco Alvarez | C |
| 8 | Carson Benge | LF |
| 9 | Tyrone Taylor | CF |
Mets’ projected Opening Day lineup (vs. LHP)
| ORDER | PLAYER | POS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francisco Lindor | SS |
| 2 | Juan Soto | RF |
| 3 | Bo Bichette | 3B |
| 4 | Jorge Polanco | 1B |
| 5 | Marcus Semien | 2B |
| 6 | Mark Vientos | LF |
| 7 | Francisco Alvarez | C |
| 8 | Luisangel Acuña | DH |
| 9 | Tyrone Taylor | CF |
Mets’ projected starting rotation
| ROLE | PITCHER |
|---|---|
| SP1 | Nolan McLean |
| SP2 | David Peterson |
| SP3 | Clay Holmes |
| SP4 | Sean Manaea |
| SP5 | Kodai Senga |
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
- Reds’ Elly De La Cruz Turned Down Potential Team-Record Contract Last Spring
- How a Wild 15 Hours of MLB Free Agency Led to J.T. Realmuto Re-Signing With Phillies
- Four Burning Questions After Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette’s Landscape-Altering Contracts
- Phillies' Contract Offer to Bo Bichette Revealed After Star Spurns Club for Mets
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mets’ Projected Opening Day Lineup After Adding Bo Bichette in Free Agency.
