Now that the New York Mets have Bo Bichette on the roster, the focus shifts to figuring out where he best fits defensively in order to maximize his value. While there is already a working idea internally, it has not been fully confirmed which position on the diamond Bichette will ultimately play with the Mets.
One of the first to weigh in on Bichette’s potential role was The Athletic’s Will Sammon. “New York believes Bichette can handle third base because of his good hands, even though he’s never played the position professionally,” the MLB insider wrote.
At the same time, Sammon noted that the Mets will need to see how the former Blue Jays infielder adjusts to a new spot. “The club is optimistic that Bichette’s strong work ethic and personality help him make a smooth transition defensively; after all, he did make an on-the-fly shift to second base during last year’s World Series.”
A less optimistic view on Bichette
Michael Baron of Just Mets took a more critical stance on what Bichette’s future with the club could look like and where he might play next MLB season. “Once again, it’s worth mentioning that while Bo Bichette certainly isn’t a perfect fit on the diamond, he is an elite hitter, and he’s right-handed,” Baron wrote on X.
Beyond questioning Bichette’s defensive fit, Baron also pointed to a broader trend in how the Mets have been deploying players at unfamiliar positions, something he suggested is difficult to fully evaluate.
“The Mets signed Bo Bichette, an offense-first career shortstop, to play third base. They signed Jorge Polanco — a career middle infielder — to play first base. And it would seem Brett Baty, a career third baseman, is destined to play first too.”