PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies and Bo Bichette met virtually on Monday.
Two sources confirmed the meeting to MLB.com, though the club has not commented publicly. The Athletic first reported late last week that the Phillies and Bichette planned to talk.
The Phillies’ interest in Bichette is real. Sources said they believe there is a path to a deal, but several challenges must be met.
First, obviously, they will need to outbid large-market competitors like the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox. Boston should be motivated after it failed to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman, who just signed a five-year, $175 million deal with the Cubs.
Second, the Phillies will need to clear payroll to fit Bichette into their budget. Cot’s Contracts currently projects the Phillies’ 2026 payroll for luxury tax purposes to be $302.1 million, which is less than $2 million shy of the fourth luxury-tax threshold at $304 million. The Phillies almost certainly will need to trade third baseman Alec Bohm, who will make $10.2 million next season, and find catcher J.T. Realmuto’s replacement to make the math work.
Sources have said the Phillies can’t sign both Bichette and Realmuto, although things can change.
The Phillies entered the offseason with Realmuto as one of their top priorities, but the two parties have been at an impasse for some time.
Realmuto just finished a five-year, $115.5 million contract. The Phillies are offering a sizeable cut from the $23.1 million average annual value of that deal, whether it’s a two-year or a three-year offer. Both could be on the table.
If Realmuto’s offer is in the $13-15 million range and if the Phils trade Bohm, it would clear roughly $25 million in payroll, although they would still need to find another catcher.
Bichette likely would cost more than that. But the Phillies could make the money more palatable by giving him a longer-term deal to spread out the average annual value, which affects the luxury tax. They are probably open to that because of Bichette’s age.
Bichette turns 28 in March. Bregman, in comparison, turns 32 in March.
That four-year gap almost certainly explains why the Phillies never pursued Bregman.
An eight-year contract for Bichette, for example, would carry him through his age-36 season.
The Phillies have been willing to go that far before. They have Trea Turner signed through his age-40 season (11-year, $300 million contract). They have Bryce Harper signed through his age-38 season (13-year, $330 million contract). They have Aaron Nola signed through his age-37 season (seven-year, $172 million contract).
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported on Monday that the Phillies’ meeting with Bichette went “very well.” There is no reason to believe it did not. Bichette is a great fit and the Phillies would love him in their lineup in 2026 and beyond.