Tucker Chooses Dodgers Over Mets While Bichette Picks Mets Over Phillies

 

In the space of 24 hours, two free agents picked their destinations.

Outfielder Kyle Tucker, who spent 2025 with the Chicago Cubs after seven seasons with the Houston Astros, has agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tucker can opt out of the deal after the 2027 and 2028 seasons. But when you're now the highest paid player in the game by average annual value, why would you? Meanwhile infielder Bo Bichette, who had spent his entire 7-year MLB career with the Toronto Blue Jays, has chosen to play for the New York Mets for $126 million over the next three seasons. 

Tucker, who turns 29 tomorrow, chose the Dodgers over the Mets who had offered him a four-year deal worth $220 million. Without missing a beat, the Mets turned their sights and landed the 27-year-old Bichette who had been offered $200 million over seven seasons from their NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies. Although the Phillies were offering more money over a longer period of time, Bichette opted for a salary of a higher average annual value and another opportunity to hit the free agent market at 30.

Both Tucker and Bichette are very good players but I'm not sure either warranted their contracts. While Tucker has been named to four consecutive NL All-Star Teams, he did significant time in both 2024 and 2025 due to a shin fracture and a calf injury, respectively. Bichette also had injury issues in both 2024 and 2025 with a calf issue of his own as well as a sprained knee. Complicating matters for Bichette is that he is expected to play third base for the Mets, a position he has never played.

Yes, the Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series, so Tucker isn't necessarily a centerpiece of the team but when you're getting more money than Shohei Ohtani then you're bound to be subject to scrutiny. Yet Bichette is under every bit as much pressure as he heads to a Mets organization which had a major collapse last season and a huge overhaul. New York is not an easy place to learn a new position.

Well, both players will be handsomely compensated for their travails. As they say, nice work if you can get it.