Bo Bichette was introduced as the newest member of the New York Mets on Wednesday, days after agreeing to a three-year, $126-million contract.
The long-time Toronto Blue Jay, who is expected to play third base alongside star shortstop Francisco Lindor in Queens, noted his palpable excitement to play in New York, calling it “one of the best cities in the world.”
“Fans, some of the best fans in the world. All of that is something I’ve always wanted to be a part of,” Bichette said.
Bichette was a free agent for the first time in his major-league career, opting to sign with the Mets after being drafted by the Blue Jays in 2016. He was a two-time AL All-Star (2021 and 2023) and led the AL in hits twice (2021 and 2022).
Having played seven seasons in Toronto, all of which alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bichette discussed his Blue Jays tenure, telling Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that Guerrero is “my brother for life.”
“I’ll always love him. I value our friendship.”
Bichette also shed some light on his free-agent contract negotiations with the Blue Jays and whether a deal was ever close.
“Me and the Blue Jays were in touch all off-season. They showed interest, but at the end of the day, it just became clear to me that this was the decision that I needed to make.”
Bichette has great memories in Toronto
Bichette joins the Mets on the heels of a great 2025 season with the Blue Jays. He finished with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and a career-high 44 doubles while slashing .311/.357/.483 during the regular season.
A knee sprain suffered in September forced Bichette to miss games down the stretch and the ALDS and ALCS versus New York and Seattle, but he made a triumphant return to the World Series and appeared at second base for the Blue Jays, a position he had never played in the majors.
“I’ll only have fond memories of the fans. They supported me so much. Through so much,” Bichette said. “I’ll also remember my first at-bat in the World Series, where they had my back, and they believed in me after not playing for that long.
“…I was open to it,” Bichette said of a possible return to Toronto. “We had conversations throughout the off-season, but it just didn’t pan out.”
Despite missing out on Bichette and seeing outfielder Kyle Tucker spurn their long-term offer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Blue Jays have added a ton this winter, particularly on the pitching side, with Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers signing as free agents. Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto also gives the Blue Jays an intriguing bat after several productive seasons overseas.
Barring other additions, the Blue Jays will enter the 2026 season with Andres Gimenez at shortstop, with a mix of Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Okamoto at third and second base.
