The Philadelphia Phillies have missed out on one of their top free agent targets.
The New York Mets have signed infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. Bichette will receive opt-outs after years one and two, and no deferrals.
Bichette will receive a short-term, high Average Annual Value contract and potentially reach free agency again after just one season. He is expected to play third base for the Mets, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Philadelphia met with Bichette earlier this week, with the meeting reportedly going “very well”.
How Did the Philadelphia Phillies Miss Out on Bichette?
Going into his age-28 season, Bichette was one of the younger free agents on the market. He would’ve been a great fit for the Phillies, looking to once again contend after a 96-win season.
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, it seemed as of last night that Bichette would be a Phillie. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported this after Bichette’s signing.
“The Phillies had agreed to Bo Bichette’s request for a 7-year, $200 million deal last night and believed they would sign him until the Mets swooped in with their 3-year, $126 million offer after losing out in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes,” Nightengale tweeted.
While the Phillies’ offer obviously had more guaranteed years and money, the AAV would’ve been $28.6 million as opposed to the $42 million he ended up getting from New York.
Another factor in the decision could have been the placement of the opt-out years. If the Phillies didn’t offer many opt-outs, it could’ve muddied the deal.
With the Mets’ deal, he has the choice to hit free agency after the first two years of his contract, betting on himself to succeed and earn more money in free agency, while still being a young player.
So now that the Phillies have missed out on Bichette, who do they pivot to?
What is the Phillies’ Backup Plan?
Losing starter Ranger Suarez hurt; losing out on Bichette should hurt more, knowing how close the Phillies actually were.
Shortly after the Bichette signing, the Phillies re-signed catcher J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract, per Robert Murray of FanSided.
While that definitely solves a major hole in the Phillies roster, it is still a bit of a disappointment that Philadelphia had to pivot to re-signing Realmuto.
While Bichette is expected to play third base for the Mets, he could have played second or third for Philadelphia. Now that they lost out on Bichette, Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm will more than likely continue to man second and third, respectively.
Free agent Eugenio Suarez, a significant downgrade from Bichette due to age and bat-to-ball skills, could be an option if Philadelphia is looking to offload Bohm. It’s more likely at this point that Stott stays than Bohm.
But one thing is certain: the Phillies need another bat to elevate them into the next stratosphere of contention. Suarez could take them there, but Bichette would’ve made the difference this team needed.
Phillies Lose Out on Top Free Agent Target