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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New York Mets wasted no time pivoting away from Kyle Tucker choosing the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Toronto Blue Jays, meanwhile, may be left out in the cold.
It had been an offseason of departures for the Mets, as former franchise cornerstones Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz left in free agency. On Friday, the Mets struck back with a stunner, reportedly landing longtime Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette on a three-year contract.
Will Sammon of The Athletic was the first to report the agreement between New York and the 27-year-old star infielder. Meanwhile, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Bichette is set to make $126 million over the course of the deal.
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The market for Bichette was picking up steam over the last couple of weeks, but if any National League East team was going to get him, it seemed much more likely that it would be the Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia's brass reportedly met with Bichette at the start of the week, and the Mets were focused on Tucker until he chose a four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers on Thursday night.
Because the Mets traded for former Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, they previously didn't look to be a strong fit for Bichette, who was telling teams he was open to a move from shortstop to second. With Francisco Lindor installed as the permanent shortstop, the most likely scenario for Bichette is to move over to third base, a position he hasn't played a single game at as a professional.
Bichette and Tucker were presumably the Blue Jays' No. 1 and 2 targets, and now, the defending American League champions are left scrambling for a potential pivot. Though Toronto improved its rotation in a big way this winter, one could argue that losing Bichette's bat and replacing it with newcomer Kazuma Okamoto is a downgrade.
Within a 24-hour span, free agency was flipped on its ear. The Mets deserve credit for adapting on the fly, while the Blue Jays have to be wondering where everything went sideways.
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