3:42 p.m.: A meeting between the Phillies and Bichette is scheduled for next Monday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
3:07 p.m.: I Bo Bichette the market clearly has a new entrant. Matt Gelb, Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark of The Athletic report that the Phillies have scheduled a meeting with the free agent player and his representatives at Vayner Sports to take place within the next few days. Philadelphia’s interest is “legitimate,” according to the report — stemming from Bichette’s willingness to move from the position and the long-term look-down between the Phils and the free agent. JT Realmutohe has yet to sign. Gelb and Stark noted that a deal between the Phillies and Bichette would close the door on Realmuto’s time in Philly and could lead to a trade for the third baseman. Alec Bohm.
Bichette, only 27 years old (28 in March), not only enjoyed the 2025 season after an injury-plagued 2024 – he turned in what was arguably the best season of his career. In 628 trips to the plate, he slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs. His 6.4% walk rate, while a few points below the league average, was his career best in a full season, along with his 14.5% strikeout rate.
Bichette’s summer, in particular, was something to behold. He went out to a decent but pedestrian area before he got hot in May and caught fire in the middle of summer. From July 6th through the end of the season, Bichette went supernova with a .381/.437/.591 slash in 238 plate appearances. He homered seven times, piled up 24 offensive doubles, walked at an 8.8% clip and pitched just 11.3% of his plate appearances. Push back to mid-June, and Bichette closed out his season with 330 plate appearances for .350/.395/.538 production.
Yes, “end of season” is a relative term in Bichette’s case. He sprained his posterior cruciate ligament on Sept. 6 and did not return for the final three weeks of the regular season. Bichette spent the first rounds of the playoffs resting and rehabilitating that strained knee. He was cleared to return to the World Series, and while it was clear he was swinging at nearly 100%, his bat remained undisturbed. Bichette went 8-for-23 in 27 plate appearances and smashed that iconic, go-ahead, three-run homer Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series — a blast that would have undoubtedly proved a game-winner had the bullpen held on to Toronto’s lead.
Seriously, Bichette played second base when he took the field during the World Series. It was his first appearance at the position since his minor league days, but his willingness to let the elite outfielder at shortstop (Andres Gimenez) undoubtedly helps Bichette’s case in free agency. His long-term knock has been that he’s a below-average shortstop.
The Phillies, according to The Athletic, are likely to use Bichette at third base. It’s worth wondering if he has a hot corner arm, given that Statcast pegged his arm strength at 36 percent of major leaguers this past season. Bichette averaged 82.3 mph on his throws to first base, tying him for the Phillies’ current shortstop Trea Turner with that. The grade is below average but also not the death knell for his chances of playing a passable third baseman. That 82.3 mph average also tied for another freebie Alex Bregmanand is actually half a mile faster than Philadelphia’s third baseman, Bohm.
The biggest concern for the Phillies is how Bichette can fit into the payroll. RosterResource projects the Phils at $266MM in salary. That’s down from last year’s $284MM Opening Day, but Bichette will push them beyond that point (barring some sort of backloaded or deferred contract). And while the actual cash payout is down from last year, the club’s luxury tax isn’t. The Phils have $301MM worth of CBT obligations, according to those same RosterResource estimates. That means they will be taxed at a rate of 95% on the first $3MM of Bichette’s average annual value and a 110% clip on the remainder.
In fact, Bichette will cost the Phillies close to doubling his annual salary — at least in one contract year. That number could drop by 2026, when Nick Castellanos, Taijuan Walker, Jesus Luzardo, Jose Alvarado, Adolis Garcia, Edmund Sosa and Bohm (if not sold) are all out of books. Philadelphia “only” has an estimated $187MM luxury tax liability in 2027, but that’s before factoring in the notable arbitration clause (titled John Duran again Bryson Stott) and before filling any gaps created by that take-off slide. It’s easy to see that number moving quickly.
Still, the long-term paycheck in Philadelphia is probably a little cleaner than many would expect from a team with so many high-priced veterans. Zack WheelerThe $42MM cap hit expires in 2027. Harper’s annual salary is already low compared to a player at his level, and drops to $22MM over the final three seasons of his contract (2029-31). Harper, Turner, Christopher Sanchez, Kyle Schwarber again Aaron Nola they are the only players currently on long-term deals beyond the 2027 season, and Schwarber is the only member of that group to be paid more than $27.5MM per year from 2028 onward. The Phillies have just over $117MM in guaranteed money on the books through 2028. Signing Bichette would increase the 2026 salary to problematic levels, and the Phils could potentially move back or extend his contract to help eliminate some of that bloat.
Bichette’s arrival with the Phillies will create an interesting series of ripple effects. Teams that have been looking for help at third base (eg Pirates, D-backs, Mariners, Red Sox) may find a more willing trade partner in Philadelphia than months ago, when Bichette was not considered by the Phillies’ front office. Bohm recently agreed to a $10.2MM contract through the 2026 season and is a free agent next year.
Philadelphia will also need to make a catch acquisition. Rafael Marchan again Garrett Stubbs they are the only others on the list. Gelb and Stark report that they are in Minnesota Ryan Jeffers — a free agent following the 2026 season — has been of interest to the Phillies in the past. However, the Twins have signed that they intend to compete in 2026 and will not trade the stars. Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan again Byron Buxton. Were they really going to make Jeffers available, because of that decision? Time will tell.
If not Jeffers (or Realmuto), the options are few and far between. Victor Caratini it is a free agent and can be a very straightforward solution. The Phillies could try to check Hunter Goodman from the rebuilding Rockies. Luis Campusano he looks like the odd man out in San Diego, though he has yet to prove he can be a pass-catching catcher in the majors. The White Sox have received interest in young backstops Kyle Teel again Edgar Querobut both will come with a high asking price, given their high prospect status and half a decade in club control. Red has some depth Tyler Stephenson, Jose Trevino again Ben Rortvedt all in the books and high probability Alfredo Duno coming in a few years. If the Phillies go the trade route, how does another club pivot to fill their new catching need? And where does Realmuto come in? The benefits of the Bichette signing to Philly are far more expansive than many would initially expect.
