The New York Mets entered the 2026 season with legitimate World Series aspirations, but those expectations have quickly faded with the club struggling to stay in postseason contention with roughly a month remaining.
A significant part of New York’s disappointing campaign can be traced to underwhelming performances from several of its highest-paid players, while injuries have only made matters worse.
Although owner Steve Cohen has the financial resources to make significant changes, the Mets are already committed to paying substantial money to players who have delivered little production this season.
According to Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller, the Mets could owe approximately $223.1 million in 2027 to eight players who have combined for only 1.5 bWAR this season if Bo Bichette does not exercise the opt-out clause in his contract.
That group includes Bichette, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco, all of whom have struggled during their first seasons in Queens.
Polanco has endured perhaps the toughest campaign of the trio. The infielder is out for the remainder of the season because of an ankle injury and appeared in only 37 games, batting a disappointing .148. Despite the limited production, he is still scheduled to earn $20 million in 2027.
Bichette hasn’t fared much better. The two-time All-Star owns a .704 OPS this season and is projected to make $42 million next year. Given his current performance, it would be surprising if he chose to opt out of his contract.
The Mets have made several major financial commitments that have yet to produce the desired results. There is still optimism that stars such as Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor can help turn things around, but New York will need substantially more production from the expensive supporting cast.
With the postseason slipping further away, the Mets now face a difficult offseason challenge: finding a way to get meaningful value from a payroll that already carries several massive commitments.
