Phillies Are Reportedly In On Bo Bichette

Outside of Kyle Schwarber, the Phillies have not been seriously attached to most of the big names in MLB Free Agency. But according to a Jon Heyman tweet, they are in on one big name. Bo Bichette.

Bichette is interesting given he has exclusivly played SS to this point in his career. The Phillies obviously have Trea Turner. But the idea is probably one of either Turner or Bichette would move to 3B. The Phillies have actively shopped Alec Bohm this offseason, though there have been no bites on a potential trade yet.

Swapping in Bichette for Bohm in the lineup would be a massive upgrade. He routinely hits around .300, and unlike most current Phillies, is not a high-strikeout player. As Heyman pointed out in his tweet, Bichette is a player who can hit nearly any pitch, and put the ball in play. A trait any Phillies fan will tell you the Phillies desperately need more of.

Outside of a down year in 2024, Bichette had an OPS of at least .800 in every season with the Blue Jays. Bohm, meanwhile, only had 1 season with an OPS over .800, and it was his rookie year where he only played 44 games.

Oh, and Bichette hit .348/.444/.478/.923 during the Blue Jays' run to the World Series this past season. So he also brings a playoff pedigree that the Phillies could certainly use.

The Phillies and JT Realmuto are currently in a game of chicken. Any deal with Bichette might hang on if the Phillies bring back JT. If they pay him, there might not be the money to pay Bichette. But if they lose JT, the question becomes who replaces him.

Scott Lauber recently wrote that the Phillies could pivot to a cheaper option. If they did that, it would free up money to either re-sign Ranger Suarez or sign a player like Bo Bichette. Who that cheaper option would be is a big question. The free agent market is bare. A trade would be their best option, but there aren't many real reports suggesting they are working on a trade for a cheaper catcher.

The Phillies also need closure on Alec Bohm. He is projected to make around $10 million next season. They need closure on Nick Castellanos too, who they owe $20 million. If they can get out of those 2 contracts, it's a significant amount of money saved. But there is little to no buzz for either player, and the Phillies may end up eating Castellanos's contract.

All this makes a Bo Bichette move a bit more complicated than it would be for some of his other suitors. The Phillies already have one of the biggest payrolls in the league, and they have clearly been shy about growing it even bigger. But there is real reporting attaching Bo Bichette to the Phillies. Making him a name worth watching.