New York Mets Trade Rumors: What About Bo Bichette?

MLB trade rumor season unofficially begins with June, and for better or worse, the New York Mets figure to be a big part of the proceedings this year. Grand Central Mets identified three of the organization's most valuable trade chips if the club decides to hold a summer sell-off. However, there's an intriguing fourth option if the stars align between now and the trade deadline on Aug. 3.

It's a lot of factors to consider, but if the club is buried in the National League wild-card standings before the deadline, if it wants to reduce payroll ahead of a potentially chaotic offseason, and if he's presented an opportunity to play in October with another club, there's also infielder Bo Bichette.

Fans are sure to dismiss that. The Mets signed Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract last offseason. He stunk in the first two months of the deal, which means he has little choice but to opt into the second year of the agreement and weigh down any club's payroll.

The response to all that is “Yes, but" multiple times over. When taken together, though, we can build a case for president of baseball operations David Stearns to at least listen on Bichette.

Mets Must Weight Reasons to Trade Or Keep Bo Bichette

YES: Bichette has a no-trade clause,

BUT: Would he exercise it to stay with a club that’s out of contention and can't guarantee that it will be a lot better in 2027? The Mets are on course to miss the playoffs for a fourth time in six seasons under Steve Cohen's ownership. Buying players like Bichette in their win-now frenzy hasn't worked. The organization has been much better at pursuing Cohen's goal of building a perennial contender from within. Tanking should never enter a conversation about a Cohen team, and a Bichette trade for prospects would not be that. It would instead be a move to both add volume to the pipeline and free up cash for multiple offseason moves.

YES: The average annual value (AAV) of Bichette’s contract is $42 million, one of the highest salaries in baseball,

BUT: The deal's structure makes the player tradeable this year. The pact included a $40 million signing bonus, which the Mets paid in full on March 15. That left a $2 million salary for 2026. By the deadline, he'll be owed about one-third of that amount, or $666,667. That's less than the full-year MLB minimum salary. Plus, any team that acquires him would add $14 million to its competitive balance tax (CBT) payroll total, not the full $42 million, as per CBT rules. Those factors should expand the universe of potential suitors and make a Bichette trade more attractive to the Mets. Low-payroll contenders such as the Athletics, Cleveland Guardians, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals could pay Bichette pennies over the final two months and stay well below the first CBT tax threshold. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, on the other hand, would be facing millions in additional penalties and surcharges as multiple-time taxpayers.

YES: Bichette will make $42 million in 2027 if he opts in,

BUT: Some clubs are willing to pay a high AAV in short-term deals. The Mets committed $43.33 million per year each to pitchers Max Scherzer (three years) and Justin Verlander (two years) in 2022 and 2023, respectively. They flipped both men for prospects at the ‘23 deadline. Lots of cash went to the Rangers and Astros, respectively, in those trades, but clubs with fewer resources can figure out creative solutions if they want to flip Bichette next year. Separately, some clubs might want to add a high-dollar player if they believe a salary floor is coming to MLB in the next collective bargaining agreement and will need to add payroll to comply.

YES: Bichette is proving that he isn't a $42 million player, which makes an opt-in almost inevitable,

BUT: He's still young (28), he has a track record of above-average offensive production, and he has a World Series appearance on his résumé. And not only a World Series appearance, but also a performance where he played hurt (knee) at an unfamiliar position (second base). Clubs will pay for that type of player. Whether he returns to New York or is elsewhere next year, Bichette could also defer a portion of his salary to help the front office. After all, he agreed to defer the $5 million buyout he'll receive if he opts out after this season or next season.

YES: Bichette has been bad this season based on numbers.

BUT: His post-Series hangover can be excused because, as he has said, he was pressing early on to live up to the contract. Propelled by a four-hit game against the Mariners in Seattle, he's hitting .321 in June. His poor numbers after 62 games (.591 OPS, 70 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR through June 4) can be excused because some of his peripherals are okay. He's running a 17.4 percent strikeout rate, which is in line with his career figures; a career-high 6.6 percent walk rate; a .263 BABIP, which suggests a lot of bad luck, and a 46.3 percent hard-hit rate, which also is close to his career norms. His fielding is even on the upswing. He has been below average at shortstop, as usual (minus-2 fielding run value, minus-3 outs above average, minus-3 defensive runs saved through June 4). His work at third base has been better (1 FRV, 2 OAA, minus-2 DRS through June 4).

Again, this discussion is based on the hypothetical that the Mets will fall out of contention and then look to dump salary. It's much more likely that they'll keep Bichette, regardless of where they are in the standings, and then spend in the offseason. But if the club has a mind to do the unexpected... well, Cohen has never been afraid of shocking the world.