To say the Philadelphia Phillies are having a tough offseason could be viewed as an understatement. After losing Ranger Suarez and failing to land Kyle Tucker, all hopes of an impact signing hinged on shortstop Bo Bichette. It made sense to land the American League champion to cement the lineup and answer any concerns Philly is facing in the middle infield. Instead, not only did Philadelphia fail to land Bichette, but their failure came at the hands of their division rival, the New York Mets.
Now, the move is aging all the worse with USA Today's Bob Nightengale noting that "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." Philadelphia was not only in the lead for the infielder, according to this report, but was going to offer seven years of stability and a reason to believe that Philadelphia's offseason wasn't a complete failure.
It is hard to blame Bichette for jumping at the chance to make an insane yearly clip while having a chance to hit free agency in three years. Instead of one huge check, the shortstop is making more money than the Phillies offered yearly while being free to hit the market four years earlier. There is no ignoring that this decision makes Philadelphia's failure look all the worse. Philadelphia's front office should've been able to beat this offer, having more talent and a clearer path to contention.
New Details of Bo Bichette's Contract Exposes Frustrating Phillies Mistake
Not knowing the details of the contracts made it easier to imagine that the Mets had the inside track all along. However, these details make it clear that Philadelphia had Bichette and fumbled away the opportunity to land an impact player. This is in line with an offseason that is largely defined by key pieces departing and free agency failures.
Signing Bichette would've erased much of this and left the Phillies one starter away from the fan base feeling they had cemented their recent National League East dominance to the 2026 season. Now, both the Atlanta Braves and Mets have made enough moves to at least be considered potential threats to the Phillies. Fans hope there is a blockbuster move ahead after failing to land any of Suarez, Tucker, or Bichette.
While paying the infielder around $42 million annually is a hefty price, it is less than Tucker is making and would've cemented you as postseason contenders. Instead, fans continue to be frustrated, and league pundits will be tempted to pick division rivals as division favorites heading into spring training. No question, this is a failure that continues to age poorly and reinforces just how badly the Phillies need a win.