Jon Heyman Bo Bichette’s turnaround isn’t likely to change his Mets opt-out decision By Jon Heyman Published Aug. 20, 2026, 5:39 p.m. ET New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) reacts a after he hits a double in the first inning when the New York Mets play the San Diego Padres Tuesday August 18, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Jason Szenes for the New York Post The chances for Bo Bichette to opt out with $84 million and another opt-out opportunity are zero, one rival exec opines. And, barring an enormous finish, that seems to be conventional wisdom.
Bichette is playing like himself over the past three months and is transitioning nicely to 3B, but it makes little sense for the fourth-highest paid player in MLB (tied with Zack Wheeler, trailing Kyle Tucker, Juan Soto and Cody Bellinger) to hit an uncertain market with a 96 OPS+.
To be safe, I’d put the opt-out possibility at 2 percent. (Hey, the season isn’t over yet.)
It’s not all bad for the Mets. Their recent run (24-23 under interim manager Andy Green) has revealed possibilities. Sean Manaea has rediscovered how to pitch effectively, Zac Thornton looks like a potential back-end starter, and Kodai Senga might be a miracle find as closer (4-for-4 so far). Plus, Green is doing a creditable job.
