Bo Bichette back, as Mets 3B to exercise $42M option, per reports

Less than 24 hours after Brice Turang recorded the final out of the Brewers' first World Series title in franchise history on Wednesday night, Bo Bichette has already made his decision.

Bichette will exercise his $42 million option to remain with the Mets, according to multiple reports. The Mets infielder had five days after the completion of the World Series to decide his fate for the offseason. The Athletic's Will Sammon was the first to report Bichette's intention to return.

With no unrestricted free agents for the Mets heading into the upcoming campaign, Bichette's decision is the most impactful from the club's 2026 roster.

Now, the two-time All-Star will run it back in Flushing.

The two-time All-Star was the club's biggest splash before last season when he signed a three-year, $136 million deal which includes options for the final two seasons. Now, he'll return to the top of the lineup alongside Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto as the Mets hope for a healthier season to erase the failures of the last two campaigns.

What was in Bo Bichette's decision to opt in

It was a down season by Bichette's standard as he got acclimated in New York.

While Bichette played 160 games, he stumbled out of the gate and finished with a .260/.312/.390 slash line including 18 home runs, 78 RBI and 76 runs. Through May, he had a .583 OPS, but he closed with a .772 OPS in the final four months. He also handled his first season at third base without issue.

With that underperformance and uncertainty looming over how team payrolls and contracts could be structured in the future following this offseason's labor negotiations, it seemed unlikely that Bichette would fetch anywhere near the $42 million he would receive in 2027 elsewhere.

Now, he has another chance to prove his past value, like he did in his walk year for the Blue Jays in 2025 when he was coming off an .840 OPS with 18 home runs and 94 RBI. He played a key role in their AL East crown on the way to the World Series. He has another $42 million

After a rocky start that saw him booed early by Mets fans, Bichette seemed to find his footing down the stretch and appreciated the accountability of playing in the biggest market in baseball. He took a clear mentorship role in helping Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing get settled and appears unfazed by the pressure.

What Bo Bichette might have left on the table

In an underwhelming free agent class for position players, it could have been argued that Bichette would vaults to near the top of the market if he decided to opt out.

For teams needing infield help, the top free agents include Teruaki Sato, Brandon Lowe, Jake Bauers, Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

It is possible that Bichette could have earned a longer contract elsewhere if he chose to opt out. Instead, he chose stability, comfort and one of the highest annual salaries for the 2027 season to stay in Flushing.