The card the NY Mets can’t be afraid to pull in a worst-case Bo Bichette scenario

Bo Bichette was a smart pivot from Kyle Tucker in terms of offense, but significant questions about his defense have left room for interpretation for the New York Mets. We knew he was going to move to third base upon arriving in Queens — no one was taking shortstop from Francisco Lindor — and the results in spring training have been mixed to say the least.

Still, the plan from Carlos Mendoza has been to keep running Bichette out at the hot corner while letting Brett Baty prioritize his offensive work as the designated hitter. It was a questionable set up to begin with, and the exhibition slate has only reinforced those concerns.

In terms of the ideal defensive alignment, putting Baty at third and Bichette at DH is the clear winner for the Mets. So, why have they been so scared to pull the trigger this spring?

Mets will be at their best when Bo Bichette is starting at DH

For all of Baty's ups and downs at the plate, he's consistently been a strong defender at third base. His glove was especially strong last year, as he graded out positive in both Outs Above Average (+2) and Defensive Runs Saved (+4) in just 573 innings at the position (about half of a full season).

In comparison, Bichette has been a disaster in the field. He was worth -13 OAA and -12 DRS in 2025 and has -32 and -19 marks in both stats, respectively, throughout his career.

Now, shortstop is a more demanding position than third, and there's nothing to suggest he can't make the transition with grace. But there's also no denying that Baty is hands down the better defender at this point.

Of course, putting a star player at designated hitter after they spent their entire career in the field is easier said than done. Just look at the ugly saga that transpired between the Boston Red Sox and Rafael Devers last year after Alex Bregman was signed and allowed to commandeer third base; things got so bad after a couple months that the Red Sox traded their face of the franchise in what amounted to a salary dump.

Things hopefully won't get that bad between the Mets and Bichette, but what if there was a verbal agreement between both parties that Bichette wouldn't be moved to DH throughout the life of his contract? The concerns about his defense were very real throughout free agency, and it's not impossible to think he agreed to a position change with the understanding that he'd get a long leash at his new defensive home.

Because this partnership is short (Bichette can opt out after 2026 and 2027), there's got to be a point where the Mets simply run the risk of upsetting their new star to field a better defense. It may not come by Opening Day, but the sooner that threshold is hit, the better the Mets will be.