Breaking News: Phillies Star J.T Realmuto Send Another Heartfelt Commitment Message To Philadelphia Phillies Nations
J.T. Realmuto, Bo Bichette and negotiating through the media
Are the Phillies exploring other options to bringing back the veteran catcher?
ith the conclusion of Kazuma Okamoto’s free agency, Bo Bichette could be the next major free agent infielder to sign. The New York Post‘s Jon Heyman reports that the Philadelphia Phillies are among six teams interested in Bichette. It’s unclear if there’s genuine interest on Philadelphia’s part or if they’re being used as leverage for rival clubs.
Bichette, 27, is coming off another strong year with Toronto. He put up a .311/.357/.483 slash with 18 home runs, 94 RBI, and a 134 wRC+ in 2025. In four of the last five seasons, he’s posted at least 175 hits and 3.8 fWAR.
The price for Bichette could be very exorbitant for the Phillies. MLB Trade Rumors predicts the former Blue Jay to sign an eight-year, $208 million contract. The median crowd-sourced projection on FanGraphs’ free agent tracker has him at seven years and $189 million.
A Bichette signing would push the Phillies’ Competitive Balance Tax payroll to well over $300 million. That’s hardly a deterrent at this point, as they’ve already exceeded the maximum penalty threshold. Roster Resource currently has them at $299 million after adding Brad Keller and re-signing Kyle Schwarber.
Bo Bichette’s Fit with the Phillies
Despite their aggressive offseasons, the Phillies have failed to win a title in their current window. They built their core through free agency, handing out big deals to Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Trea Turner.
In the three-year window of having those four players, the club hasn’t won a National League pennant. Their best chance came in 2023, when they squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Adding Bichette functionally replaces Realmuto in the lineup, even at a different position. The former Blue Jays shortstop is more likely to play second base for the Phillies, which carries a ripple effect on the infield.
The best spot for Bichette in the lineup would be third. That would split up the two left-handed hitters, Schwarber and Harper, in the lineup. It’s worth noting that the two held their own against southpaws in 2025. Schwarber and Harper produced a wRC+ of 162 and 125, respectively. However, no manager is going to face that part of the order late in games without a left-handed reliever ready.
Bichette didn’t have big platoon splits in terms of average or on-base percentage. However, his slugging increased by 80 points (.546 vs. .465) when facing lefties. But having that right-handed bat makes it more difficult for opposing managers to match up late in games.
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