Bo Bichette’s NY Mets contract doesn’t eliminate any of the young kids

Bo Bichette landing in Queens on a three-year, $126 million deal is the kind of move that makes New York Mets fans do the same two-step every winter: celebrate the star power, then immediately panic about who just got “blocked.” 

If the reporting holds and Bichette ends up at third, the reflex is obvious: welp, that’s it for Brett Baty. And if you’re feeling extra dramatic, you toss Ronny Mauricio and Jacob Reimer into the same “no room” pile.

But that’s not exactly what this contract actually does. Bichette doesn’t eliminate the kids — he eliminates the Mets’ ability to keep them in limbo. This is a win-now swing with flexibility baked in (including opt-outs after each of the first two years). That’s not a forever move. 

Mets landing Bo Bichette subtly sparks a nervous question about who’s actually “blocked”

Here’s the part people skip: Baty wasn’t some automatic roster casualty in 2025. He played 130 games and put up a .254/.313/.435 line with 18 homers, 50 RBI, and eight steals — good for a 111 wRC+ and 2.3 WAR. 

So no, Bichette arriving doesn’t mean Baty “can’t play.” It means Baty doesn’t get to be treated like a protected asset who must be developed at third base specifically anymore. The Mets no longer need him at one spot, so the evaluation gets sharper. If Baty stays, he’s going to have to win a role by being a consistent MLB bat and versatile enough to justify the flexibility.

Mauricio was never going to be handed a permanent position anyway. His value is talent plus flexibility. If he develops, the Mets aren’t going to shrug and waste upside because of a three-year deal. Good teams make room, shuffle reps, and use DH days to keep the bats flowing.

Reimer benefits most from the timeline. Bichette buys the Mets time to let Reimer grow without rushing the “next savior” clock. If Reimer hits, that becomes a later problem — the good kind, where you either build an unfair lineup or trade from surplus.

The bottom line is Bichette doesn’t close doors. He stops the Mets from leaving every door half-open and calling it a plan.