New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has revealed more about the timeline leading up to his team signing Bo Bichette.
Speaking to reporters at spring training Monday, Cohen confirmed that talks with Bichette accelerated after Kyle Tucker spurned the Mets for the Los Angeles Dodgers in mid-January.
Tucker’s four-year, $240-million agreement with the Dodgers was first reported on Jan. 15. Bichette then agreed to a three-year, $126-million deal with the Mets on Jan. 16.
Cohen said that “the body was still warm” after the Mets learned Tucker would be joining the Dodgers when agents began calling New York to pitch their clients.
“I actually went to bed annoyed,” Cohen said of the whirlwind 24 hours. “But the agent for Bo had called us right after and discussions started. You never know how they’re going to go but they moved really quickly.”
Before his surprise move to the Mets, Bichette was reported to be in talks with the Philadelphia Phillies over a longer-term deal. Instead, he opted for a similar short-term deal to the one Tucker signed, which includes a higher annual salary and allows him to test free agency again in his prime.
According to Spotrac, the Mets have just over $480 million committed to their roster for 2026 after luxury tax costs are calculated, second only to the Dodgers ($527 million).
“(The Dodgers) are formidable. They have the ability to spend. So do I, by the way,” Cohen said. “And they built a great team but I think we built a great team. I think we’ll be really competitive this year and the goal is to meet them somewhere along the way in the playoffs.”
Bichette is one of many new faces at Mets spring training. The team underwent a major roster overhaul this winter after missing the playoffs with a disappointing 83-79 record.
The Mets acquired ace Freddy Peralta in a trade with the Brewers, outfielder Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the White Sox and second baseman Marcus Semien in a trade with the Rangers. New York also signed free agents Jorge Polanco, Luke Weaver and MJ Melendez, while Pete Alonso (Orioles) and Edwin Diaz (Dodgers) signed elsewhere.
Cohen said the busy off-season was all about putting a winning roster on the field.
“We haven’t won. I really want to win. Each year that goes by, I get more annoyed,” Cohen said. “It’s hard to know when to make those changes, and sometimes they happen in a way you don’t fully anticipate or expect.
“Saying goodbye is always tough but saying hello is kinda fun.”
from Sportsnet.ca
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