The Phillies' pursuit of Bo Bichette has come to a scorching hot end. The big-name free agent infielder has surprisingly agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with the New York Mets, leaving Philadelphia empty-handed despite weeks of rumors and a promising meeting.
It was just days ago that Philly fans were holding out hope that they would land Bichette, who would have provided a formidable force at the plate alongside Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. However, it appears that the Phillies' pursuit of the 28-year-old star came up short, with reports now indicating that the Mets are set to sign him.
Bichette's reported contract with New York will include opt-outs after years one and two, which could add an extra layer of complexity to his deal with the Mets. The former Blue Jays slugger had a breakout season last year, slashing .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs, 44 doubles, and 40 walks while keeping his strikeouts in check.
Now that Bichette is headed north to Queens, he'll be the immediate replacement for Pete Alonso, whose departure to Baltimore has left a void in the Mets' lineup. The Phillies, meanwhile, are facing an interesting dilemma at catcher. While they had reportedly made progress on bringing back J.T. Realmuto, their efforts have now come up empty.
The Bichette deal does add weight to the speculation that Alec Bohm and Realmuto will be sticking around for the long haul. The Phillies' decision not to pursue Bichette could also serve as a safety net, allowing them to re-evaluate their approach at catcher without the pressure of signing a big-name free agent.
Realmuto's return is now officially confirmed, with reports suggesting that he'll be back on a three-year, $45 million deal. However, this move will undoubtedly raise eyebrows in Philadelphia, where fans may feel they're getting a consolation prize compared to the star-studded lineup they once envisioned.
It was just days ago that Philly fans were holding out hope that they would land Bichette, who would have provided a formidable force at the plate alongside Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. However, it appears that the Phillies' pursuit of the 28-year-old star came up short, with reports now indicating that the Mets are set to sign him.
Bichette's reported contract with New York will include opt-outs after years one and two, which could add an extra layer of complexity to his deal with the Mets. The former Blue Jays slugger had a breakout season last year, slashing .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs, 44 doubles, and 40 walks while keeping his strikeouts in check.
Now that Bichette is headed north to Queens, he'll be the immediate replacement for Pete Alonso, whose departure to Baltimore has left a void in the Mets' lineup. The Phillies, meanwhile, are facing an interesting dilemma at catcher. While they had reportedly made progress on bringing back J.T. Realmuto, their efforts have now come up empty.
The Bichette deal does add weight to the speculation that Alec Bohm and Realmuto will be sticking around for the long haul. The Phillies' decision not to pursue Bichette could also serve as a safety net, allowing them to re-evaluate their approach at catcher without the pressure of signing a big-name free agent.
Realmuto's return is now officially confirmed, with reports suggesting that he'll be back on a three-year, $45 million deal. However, this move will undoubtedly raise eyebrows in Philadelphia, where fans may feel they're getting a consolation prize compared to the star-studded lineup they once envisioned.
they were counting on bichette to be a game changer but now they gotta settle for realmuto i guess its a good thing bohms andRealmuto are sticking around tho 
the mets got robbed tho 126 million is crazy 
! Philly fans were so hyped about landing him and now it's like... 
Philly's gotta regroup at catcher tho, Realmuto signing was a decent move tho 
#PhillyFansUnite #BichetteToNYM
but now he's off with NY and it's like... bummer, i guess 
still think Alec Bohm is a solid player tho 
hopefully they'll make some moves in the offseason to beef up their lineup 
. The Phillies had him on lock, but maybe they just couldn't swing it 
. And yeah, Realmuto's return is a solid move for Philly, even if he doesn't bring that same star power as Bichette 
... the fans will still love him anyway 
. gotta wonder how the Phillies' front office was thinking not going all out for him 
. anyway, glad Alec Bohm and Realmuto are sticking around... that's definitely some stability on both sides of the lineup 
. now we'll see how it plays out with Bichette at the Mets 
that's gotta sting for the city of brotherly love... meanwhile the mets are gonna be a force to be reckoned with now that they got him 
and I feel bad for pete alonso who just lost his spot in the lineup 
. On the bright side, Alec Bohm and Realmuto seem like they're gonna stick around for a while now 
... plus, the mets are a tough team to compete with 
... i mean, new york is always gonna be the hub for big-name talent 
... maybe philly should've just stuck with bohmm & realmuto 
, Philly was totally better off without Bichette! I mean, sure, he's a great player and all, but that contract is just ridiculous $126 million for three years? That's like, crazy 
. Now they've got Realmuto back behind the plate, it's gonna be interesting to see how they mix and match the lineup... 
I know Phillies fans were super bummed out about not landing Bichette, but honestly, I think it's all good for Philly 
!
still super hyped for alex bohm and jt realmuto tho!! 
the phillies might've dodged a bullet by not signing bichette, now they can focus on finding that catcher 
hopefully j.t. comes through in a big way? 
Bichette's deal with the Mets is a huge blow, and it's clear that Philly just couldn't make it work 
. It's gonna be an interesting season in Philly, hope they can rebound without Bichette