The Boston Red Sox still have a hole in their infield and Bo Bichette will not be filling it. Thankfully, he's not a Toronto Blue Jay either.
Bichette has agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with the New York Mets, first reported by Will Sammon of The Athletic. MLB insider Jon Heyman followed the report with the news that Bichette will take up third base for the Mets. Much like Alex Bregman's contract with the Red Sox, Bichette can opt out after the first or second year of the deal. There is no deferred money in the contract.
The Red Sox, Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies were among the other top teams linked to Bichette. There were also rumblings that the New York Yankees wanted him, and their miss is obviously great news for Boston. Reports surfaced that the infielder's asking price was up around $300 million, assuming he signed a long-term deal. Bichette will make $42 million per season with the Mets, which Boston never would've matched.
Despite missing out on the player itself, Boston can be happy that Bichette is no longer a Blue Jay. He's been a thorn in the Red Sox's side for years as one of the most consistent bats in Toronto's lineup. Bichette has batted .309/.360/.472 with an .832 OPS against the Red Sox over 65 appearances in the last seven seasons.
Red Sox miss out on signing Bo Bichette as he goes to Mets, but at least he's not a Blue Jay
The Red Sox are likely to stick to the trade market for their final infield addition, unless Eugenio Suárez really moves them. Their signing of Ranger Suárez adds even more depth to their already long list of potential rotation arms and there's still a logjam in their outfield — Isaac Paredes has been floated as a trade target since Ketel Marte has been reportedly removed from the trade block.
The Mets could also become a trade partner for the Sox. They've added Bichette, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco to their infield this winter, which could mean Brett Baty or Mark Vientos may be on the move soon enough. Neither one is as good a player as Boston should've been targeting this offseason, however, as both have their issues with strikeouts and Vientos is a poor defender (as many of the remaining options seem to be).
Bichette isn't a Jay or a Yankee, which will make it easier for the Red Sox's final infield addition to move the needle in the division. Hopefully they get moving soon, as signings are clearly picking up in pace after the Bregman and Tucker deals.