Mets getting the full breadth of Bo Bichette karma after Phillies betrayal

Last we checked in with Bo Bichette, he was feeling the effects of karma as he stumbled out of the gate in his New York Mets debut. It turns out that not only is Bichette suffering the wrath of the baseball gods for rejecting a Philadelphia Phillies' offer that met his every demand, but the backlash has hit the Mets organization as a whole.

As of April 19's action, Bichette is hitting just .217/.255/.283 with a single homer. His defense at third base has become an issue, as his noodle arm isn't up to the task and has caused him to commit two throwing errors already. He's already subtracted 0.2 fWAR from New York, and that's through only 22 contests.

The Mets would be lucky if Bichette were their only problem. Their de facto captain, Francisco Lindor, has been just as bad as Bichette and is playing with a lethargy that just screams bad vibes. New closer Devin Williams is proving that New York just isn't his city, regardless of which borough he plays in. Ace Freddy Peralta has been pedestrian so far. In fact, it would be easier to list what is going well for the Mets than what has gone awry.

"It's tough to explain," Williams said after their 11th straight defeat. "This is one of the most talented locker rooms in the league. We just can't seem to string it together right now."

Meanwhile, a deluded Francisco Lindor praised Mets architect David Stearns, and inadvertently showed everyone where the problem is. "We have a tremendous team. David Stearns put a good team together, but this shows that nobody really cares. We've got to go out there and get it done and this past week-and-a-half, we haven't gotten it done," he said. Talent means nothing if you don't show up to play.

The Phillies dodged a Bo Bichette bullet, but they need to capitalize on the Mets' downward spiral

Imagine paying $42 million per season for a player who is a below-average hitter and fielder? It's actually not that hard to picture, because that's what Bichette was in 2024 when he posted a 70 wRC+. Sure, injuries explained part of those struggles, but while he's been a really good player for most of his career, he hasn't truly been a superstar.

If things continue on this path, there's no way he opts out of his contract and instead will collect the full $126 million from New York over the next three seasons. The Phillies certainly dodged a bullet, it seems.

But as Bichette and the Mets are mired in this horrendous slump, the Phillies have not taken advantage. What's going on with the hated rival is a cautionary tale.

More than anything, it seems that the vibe factor that was an issue for the Mets last season has carried over to this year. It's not just that they're playing poorly; it's that they look like they don't even want to be out there.

As the Phillies scuffle, what they say and do, especially when it comes to their stars, will be under a microscope. That's why Bryce Harper's sarcastic comments the other day might be a warning that the vibes are off.

The data says that Philly's hurlers will turn around their sluggish start, as the underlying data suggests that the real issue (aside from Taijuan Walker) has been bad luck rather than poor performance. Still, if and when that happens, the slumbering bats will have to wake up.

Whether it's bad karma, bad personnel decisions, or simply some sort of curse, the Mets are spiraling right now, but all of that will mean nothing if the Phillies don't capitalize while their opponent is down. Even more important, they can't continue to watch the Braves pull away from them in the NL East. The time to turn things around is now.

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