The New York Mets’ offseason success did not translate to on-field success in 2026. While several stars have underperformed, Bo Bichette can certainly be held partly accountable. Signed on a three-year, $126 million deal, he has struggled right out of the gate this year. With the Mets (20-26) struggling at the bottom of the NL East, questions have naturally arisen about whether he is part of the team’s long-term plans. After all, he has the option to jump ship.

Bichette spoke about his future with the franchise in a recent interview, addressing the uncertainty surrounding it.

“I signed here for three years. The opt-outs, any player would love them, to have control of their future, whatever the case might be, where they want to be, if they want to search for something else,” Bichette told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. “I don’t know. But when I signed here, I took it as a three-year deal.”

In Bichette’s three-year deal, he has two opt-outs right after the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Both opt-out options include a $5 million buyout.

That said, Bichette is not considering the opt-outs yet. He wants to help the team first. “Being on a new team, I just want to help the team, first off. But I think, naturally, I want to impress people and show people what I can do. Not being able to do that is tough,” he added.

After recording 63 extra-base hits last season, Bichette has only 7, including two homers. He is slashing .210/.262/.269 so far in 2026. However, he has not recorded a single extra-base hit in his last 61 at-bats after April 28. Bichette’s .531 OPS this season is the fifth-worst in the league, and his weighted on-base average of .244 is among the bottom 5% in the league.

Notably, Bichette is also adjusting to a new position, third base, this season after playing almost exclusively at shortstop over the last seven seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays.

In his 33 appearances as a third baseman, Bichette has recorded only 2 fielding errors, indicating a better defensive performance amid his offensive slump. However, fielding adjustment has been tricky, as he went back to shortstop following Francisco Lindor’s injury.

Teammate and the Mets’ second baseman, Marcus Semien, told Rosenthal that the back-and-forth at fielding positions probably does not help much either.

“Short’s a lot more demanding. I’ve played shortstop. It’s harder to hit as a shortstop. He’s adjusting back to that,” Semien remarked.

But Bichette cannot fully agree with the idea, considering he has given his best hitting performances playing shortstop.

“I do think it’s a more demanding position, for sure. It takes a little bit more mentally. But I’ve done it my whole career. It (his subpar hitting) doesn’t have to do with that,” observed Bichette, per Rosenthal. “Maybe switching back and forth, not anticipating I would be playing there, might have something to do with it. But no, I’ve hit as a shortstop my whole career.”

During the Subway Series finale on Sunday, Bichette had a defensive gaffe on the field against the New York Yankees. At the top of the sixth, he dropped a potential inning-ending pop-up that extended the Yankees’ lead to 5-1.

After going hitless in the first two games against the Yankees, Bichette’s bat showed a brief sign of waking up on Sunday. He went 1-for-5, including a ninth-inning single that paved the way for Tyrone Taylor’s two-out three-run blast.

His .243 BABIP in 202 plate appearances is well below the league average. However, Bichette is not a stranger to slumps.

In 2024, a combination of right calf strain and right middle finger fracture gave him a difficult time. He batted .225 with a .598 OPS, driving only 4 homers in the first half of the season, before missing the entire second half due to injuries.

As the Mets work to recover from their organizational slump, Bichette will continue trying to snap his own offensive slump and become the player he wanted to be in New York. Meanwhile, despite suffering a concerning injury, the Mets’ hopes for veteran starter Clay Holmes are not completely lost

Clay Holmes shares positive injury update

During the Mets’ 5-2 loss against the Yankees on Saturday, a 111.1 mph ball from Spencer Jones’ bat hit Clay Holmes. The 33-year-old right-hander fractured his right fibula due to the hit.

However, Carlos Mendoza has revealed that the fracture would need six to eight weeks to heal, and Holmes can return afterwards. He would have to go through a Spring Training ramp-up of about six weeks before he can return to the rotation.

MRI has confirmed that Holmes will, fortunately, not need surgery on his leg. “Yes, definitely we’ll see him this season,” Mets manager Mendoza reportedly said about his return. “We lost a big, big part of our team.”

Holmes, previously with the Yankees, signed a three-year, $38 million deal to make the move to Queens last season. He shifted from the bullpen to the rotation with the Mets, posting a 3.35 ERA.

This year, Holmes holds a record of 4-4 across 9 starts, with a 2.39 ERA, having allowed 14 runs and 18 walks. On April 4, he threw seven scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants with 4 strikeouts.

The Mets fans will expect to see Holmes back in action sometime in August.