Phillies’ offer to Bo Bichette revealed

The Phillies came in second in the Bo Bichette sweepstakes. The New York Mets swooped in at the last minute and reportedly signed him to a three-year deal worth $126 million with no deferrals and opt-out clauses in years one and two. Bichette will play third base for the Mets.

The Phillies, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, agreed to Bichette’s request for a seven-year, $200 million deal. The team was optimistic that they would land him until the Mets came in with the short-term offer.

Kyle Tucker signing with the Dodgers on Thursday led to the Mets’ big pivot. Tucker reportedly agreed to a massive four-year contract worth $240 million with Los Angeles. The Mets’ offer was a little short, so New York reallocated those resources into Bichette.

It’s rare to see the Phillies miss out on a prime target in free agency. The Phillies have acted like a big market team for years, exceeding the luxury tax every season since 2022. But with the payroll already around $300 million, the Phillies probably couldn’t afford to add another $40 million salary to the books.

Where do the Phillies go from here? J.T. Realmuto is still unsigned. The likelihood of him returning increases with Bichette going elsewhere. The best bat on the free agent market is outfielder Cody Bellinger. The Yankees are pursuing a reunion with him. Harrison Bader is still on the market, though the Phillies declared their outfield to be “set” after the Adolis Garcia signing.