The New York Mets signed Bo Bichette to a $126 million contract that included player options last offseason in hopes that he'd play a crucial role in helping the ball club reach the postseason. Instead, the 28-year-old turned in an underwhelming campaign while New York missed the MLB playoffs. Bichette hit .260 with a .702 OPS. While the deal was lucrative for Bichette, it was also a short-term agreement and it seemed as if he'd potentially opt out of the deal in hopes of landing a long-term contract the following offseason. Given how he played in 2026, however, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com would not be surprised to see Bichette stay in New York for another season.

Bichette has $42 million contract options for both 2027 and 2028. He's probably not going to receive that kind of annual salary in MLB free agency, which is something Feinsand agreed with in a recent article.

“Still, it’s difficult to imagine Bichette landing a free-agent deal worth anything close to that $42 million AAV following a 1.9 fWAR season,” Feinsand wrote.

He'd later mention that Bichette will “almost assuredly” remain with the Mets for the 2027 season.

Article Continues Below

Another element of the situation to consider is the collective bargaining agreement and potential for a salary cap. The deadline for a new CBA is in early December, so the way free agency works from a financial standpoint could be quite drastic if Bichette were to opt out and did not sign a new deal before December 1. That uncertainty — especially given a possible lockout — may give him additional motivation to opt in to his $42 million option.

Bo Bichette is one of the best hitters in the sport when he's on top of his game. Opting in and playing well in 2027 will lead to a big pay day after the '27 campaign — regardless of whether or not MLB ends up implementing a salary cap.