Morning Briefing: Bo Bichette Nearly Had Agreement With Phillies
Good morning, Mets fans!
The big news from Friday was that the Mets signed infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract with opt-outs after Years 1 and 2. The news was first reported by Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Bichette is the Mets’ answer after losing the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes to the Dodgers. Bichette is a career .294 batter who hit .311/.357/.483/.840 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs across 139 games last season. He is expected to play third base, a position he has never played before in the major leagues.
Not only did the Mets add a formidable bat to their lineup, but they potentially persuaded him from going to a vaunted division rival. Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Phillies agreed Thursday night to Bichette’s ask of a seven-year, $200 million contract, but the Mets came with an offer that would not be beat.
Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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In a follow-up article for The Athletic after Bichette signed with the Mets, Will Sammon detailed the team’s preparation on the infielder that allowed them to pivot off of Tucker so quickly. Per Sammon, “The Mets’ talks with Bichette began at the GM meetings, league sources said. Not knowing what to make of their chances with Tucker, the Mets met with Bichette via video within the last week.”
Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Mets are expected to play Brett Baty at multiple positions, including left field.
Per Sarah Langs of MLB Network, the Mets could become just the second team in the last 100 years to start two non-rookie infielders on Opening Day with one career game or fewer played at their position. This would occur if Bo Bichette starts at third and Jorge Polanco starts at first, positions that will be new for both players.
The Mets claimed infielder Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Rays. Cheng has just seven career at-bats at the major league level, all of which came in 2025 with the Pirates. He spent most of the season in Triple-A with the Pirates, where he struggled mightily with a .578 OPS.
Mets prospect Ryan Clifford came in as MLB Pipeline‘s no. 5 first base prospect. Clifford had an .826 OPS and 29 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A in 2025.
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The Phillies, who thought they were getting Bichette before the Mets swooped in, instead re-signed catcher J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract. Realmuto was once one of the best catchers in the game, but his numbers have trailed off the past few years. He had a .700 OPS in 134 games in 2025.
The Twins signed catcher Victor Caratini to a two-year, $14 million deal. Caratini spent the past two seasons with the Astros, where he performed well offensively. In 2025, he recorded a .728 OPS in 114 games.
Latest on MMO
In the latest MMO Roundtable, we react to Kyle Tucker signing with the Dodgers.
Jack Markowski discusses how Bo Bichette signing with the Mets will impact their lineup.
David Melendi details the latest rumors, including that the Mets might still be in on Cody Bellinger.
On This Date in Mets History
Born on This Date: Colin Poche (1994), Dario Álvarez (1989), Don Zimmer (1931).
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