Bichette reportedly takes $42 million Mets option. New York needs more from his bat.

Bo Bichette is exercising his $42 million player option for 2027 and staying with the Mets, The Athletic's Will Sammon reported Thursday, citing league sources. Sammon said Bichette retains another $42 million player option for 2028. SNY subsequently reported the decision, crediting Sammon.

He joined New York in January on a three-year, $126 million contract that included player options for 2027 and 2028. Thursday's report concerns the first of those choices. The separate 2028 decision remains ahead of him.

For the Mets, the baseball question is how much offense they can recover from a player who was available almost every day. Bichette appeared in 160 games this season and finished at .260/.312/.390, with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs. His .702 OPS was well below the .840 he produced with Toronto in 2025.

The same home-run total, a weaker offensive season

The home-run count alone conceals much of that decline. Bichette also hit 18 in 2025, when he played 139 games. His on-base percentage fell 45 points in New York, from .357 to .312, while his slugging percentage dropped 93 points, from .483 to .390. He produced fewer hits, 166 against 181, despite getting 56 more at-bats.

Those figures make a stronger case for demanding a rebound than for dismissing him as finished. His 2025 season is recent evidence of substantially better production. The countercase is just as concrete: the Mets received 696 plate appearances from him in 2026, a full season that deserves more weight than a brief slump or an encouraging week.

A returning regular and a rebound to pursue

A return toward his previous on-base and extra-base production would improve the lineup without requiring another acquisition. But New York's offseason plan should account for the .702 OPS season it just received. Counting on an automatic rebound would leave the club exposed if the same weaknesses carry into 2027.

Bichette remains listed as a Mets third baseman on the official roster. His return gives the club a regular to plan around at that position, with the reported $42 million commitment already part of his existing deal.