It has been a thrilling week for the Mets and their fans. Within the span of two days, the team finalized a three-year deal with star infielder Bo Bichette, addressed its outfield need by trading with the White Sox for slugger Luis Robert Jr. and bolstered its rotation by acquiring Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from the Brewers.
“They are all excited to join our organization, and everybody’s liking the way we’re heading here,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday on MLB Network Radio.
It'll be Mendoza's job to figure out how all of these pieces will fit, and he admitted that he has started sketching out some lineups. With Bichette, Robert, Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco all capable of hitting near or at the top of the batting order, the Mets' skipper has plenty of possibilities to consider.
"We have a lot of flexibility, with the switch-hitting from Polanco and Lindor," Mendoza said. "Then you've got a lefty in Soto that can hit righties and lefties. And you've got Bo ... this guy is elite.
"There's a lot of combinations here that I could go. I need to talk to players. I need to get a feel for where they are at. We'll make some adjustments, but definitely exciting."
While the offseason additions are new to the Mets, Mendoza actually has an existing relationship with Bichette. He’s known New York’s new third baseman for more than a decade, dating back to when he was managing Bo’s older brother, Dante Bichette Jr., in the Yankees’ Minor League system.
All these years later, Mendoza said Bichette’s competitive mindset hasn’t changed.
“Meeting him in person in New York for his press conference, the same kid, man,” Mendoza said. “A competitor. A gamer. It was just awesome to finally get him on board.”