Francisco Lindor is ready for Opening Day, but his hamate bone injury this spring forced the New York Mets to answer an important question: What do they do with Bo Bichette if their star shortstop can't go?
When Lindor's surgery was announced in February, manager Carlos Mendoza initially ruled out any shortstop reps for Bichette, committing him fully to learn third base. The reasoning was straightforward.
Bichette signed a $126 million deal to play third base for New York, and the Mets needed him focused on that transition rather than reverting to his natural position. At the time, the organization had other internal options to handle shortstop coverage, and Bichette wasn’t part of that conversation early on.
However, as spring progressed, so did Mendoza’s thinking. The Mets manager confirmed this week that Bichette could take some reps at shortstop this season, depending on whether Lindor needs some time off (h/t Laura Albanese of Newsweek).
It is a notable development given what drove Bichette off shortstop in the first place. His defense was a significant concern this past offseason and factored heavily into his free agency market. Teams were reluctant to commit to him at the position, and the Mets signed specifically with the intention of moving him off it.
Mendoza now considering him a backup option underscores how thin the alternatives truly are. The saving grace is Bichette’s bat. He slashed .333/.413/.513 with nine RBI in 16 games in spring, flashing the offensive profile that made the Mets comfortable handing him nine figures in the first place. If he has to slide over in short in an emergency, his ability to hit will make the defensive tradeoff a little more tolerable.
Lindor, meanwhile, appears to be on track. He returned to action this spring, but has only appeared in five games, with a .158 batting average and four hits. The expectation is that he will be in the lineup on Opening Day, and if that holds, Bichette’s shortstop reps may never be necessary, as long as Lindor doesn’t suffer any more problems from the injury.
© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
In a division as competitive as the NL East, the Mets can’t afford to find out the hard way that their backup plan has holes in the field. Lindor’s health is what is going to hold the lineup together. If he goes down for any significant stretch, the Mets will have to find an option quickly, and a team that was reluctant to have Bichette return to shortstop will end up being the best one on the board.
