5 NY Mets offseason twists we shouldn’t completely rule out

2) The Mets sign Bo Bichette to play a new position

Feeling less likely to happen than a trade for Marte would be for the Mets to sign free agent Bo Bichette. A shortstop who might just end up with a second base gig, this second-generation star would be a corner infielder on the Mets roster. He is regarded as one of the worst defenders left in free agency, but playing shortstop is difficult and a move to either corner spot wouldn’t be such a bad thought.

A lifetime .294 hitter averaging 24 home runs and 95 RBI per 162 games, Bichette is a popular free agent but also an overlooked one in some regards. At 27, he fits the idea of a long-term contract and yet there doesn’t seem to be a massive amount of hype around him. He’s not Juan Soto. He isn’t even getting as much love as Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, maybe as a free agent option for multiple teams.

If shortstop is a must for Bichette, options will be limited. It’s a position teams can ill-afford to have a bad defender. Second base is more realistic. It’s where he finished the year with the Toronto Blue Jays during their trip to the World Series.

It’s equally as strange of a twist as trading for Marte because of the positional change that’ll be needed. He has never played anywhere but shortstop in a regular season game. When this offseason’s theme was run prevention, signing him would be strange. But what if the Mets end up using Brett Baty in a trade and open up third base?

It’s not the most desirable pivot. Neither was letting Edwin Diaz go and replacing him with Devin Williams in advance.