The Mets Are Ready to Sell
The New York Mets are in deep trouble this season. They sit tied with the Royals for the fourth-worst record in baseball. This bad start means a reset is coming for the team in Queens. Sources indicate that anyone not named Juan Soto or a key young player is on the block. Bo Bichette is the most prominent name in this potential fire sale. He is still just 28 years old (a prime age for any shortstop), which usually makes a player very valuable. However, his current production doesn’t match his price tag.
The Mets gave Bichette a three-year, $126 million contract in the offseason. That deal included opt-outs after this year and next. It hasn’t worked out well for New York so far. Per Pinstripe Alley, Bichette has managed a 90 wRC+ and a break-even defensive performance. The team would love to get off this contract at a discount. This situation opens the door for the Yankees to make a move. They need more power at third base right now.
90 wRC+. That’s the problem.
It represents a massive gap between what the organization paid and what they’re getting on the field today.
Can He Hit Better Than Expected?
The big question is whether Bichette can turn his season around. FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projections think he can improve. They peg him for a 110 wRC+ for the rest of the season. If that happens, he would be 26 points better than Ryan McMahon. He would also be 28 points better than the Yankees have seen from third base in 2026. Bichette is underperforming his expected stats by a wide margin. His expected batting average is 27 points higher than his actual number. His expected slugging is 39 points higher.
There is some reason for hope. He has been hitting better than his terrible first two months. The transition to a new team might have caused early struggles. But baseball can stay irrational longer than you can stay in playoff contention. Bichette has a huge incentive to overperform to trigger his opt-out. He could net himself another $100 millionish guaranteed (a life-changing sum for any athlete). This creates a risky environment for any team buying him.
Why would a contender risk a haul for a player chasing his own money?
The Contract and Injury Trap
The Yankees would need significant salary relief to make a deal work. Bichette’s injury troubles over the last three seasons add risk. He has missed time with various issues recently. A significant amount of salary relief increases the prospect cost. The Yankees have to give up top talent to get the salary down. Per MLB.com Yankees, their top prospects George Lombard Jr. and Carlos Lagrange are off the table. That leaves shortstop Dax Kilby and RHP Elmer RodrÃguez as potential bait.
Kilby is a 19-year-old with 20-20 potential, but he is sidelined with a hamstring injury. RodrÃguez has a 2.85 ERA in Triple-A but struggled in his first four Major League starts. Trading these young players for a risky veteran is a hard sell. The uncertainty of future CBA negotiations could force Bichette to stay put. He might choose stability over another risky opt-out gamble. The Yankees need a sure thing, not a complicated package. The risk of Bichette underperforming again is too high. The cost to fix his contract might be more than the bat is worth. The front office must decide if the upside is real or just a mirage.
19 years old.
That’s the age of the shortstop they’d likely have to ship out to make this math work.
