Welp, this is attempt number three at writing this post. The first version was written on Thursday before the Dodgers had agreed to terms with Kyle Tucker. And the second version was written on Friday morning before Bo Bichette agree to terms with the Mets. Hopefully, I can get this version published before somebody signs Cody Bellinger or the Dodgers trade for Ketel Marte.
Phillies fans spent Friday afternoon in an absolute tizzy because Bo Bichette signed a free agent deal with the Mets.
When the offseason began, Bichette wasn’t really on the radar for most Phillies fans. Yes, he’s a good player, but seemed like an imperfect fit for the Phillies, and it felt much more likely that he would go elsewhere.
But then, the rumors started: The Phillies and Bichette were talking! The talks went well! The Phillies were the prohibitive favorites to sign him!
Bichette suddenly became a must have for Phillies fans. We were already penciling him into the lineup and figuring out where Alec Bohm could be shipped off to.
It seemed as if the Phillies had agreed to everything Bichette was asking for. And then…
If they had basically agreed on everything, why wasn’t the contract signed? It’s possible that the Phillies dragged their feet. Or it’s possible that Bichette’s camp always wanted to see how the Tucker situation played out.
It didn’t play out well for the Phillies. The Dodgers decided they needed another stone for their gauntlet, and Kyle Tucker decided he’d be fine being the sixth best player on a super team. The Mets seemed to think they were going to be the one to sign Tucker, and when they lost him, they pivoted to Bichette, giving him a contract that even Mets fans are a little unsure about.
Almost immediately after, the Phillies announce that they’re bringing back J.T. Realmuto, and let’s just say, the fan reaction has been a little different than when they re-signed him five years ago.
Most fans are unhappy that the team is basically “running it back” with mostly the same group that has fallen short the past four postseasons. The Phillies haven’t signed a big-name player in free agency since Trea Turner after 2022, so, I understand why people are unenthused about another season of the “same old” Phillies.
I do push back on this narrative that the past four years have been “failures.” Yes, they’ve seemingly had good opportunities to win the World Series, and they’ve disappointingly failed in that regard. But after watching the team miss the playoffs for a decade straight, I find it hard to turn my nose up at 95+ win division title-winning teams.
There are complaints that the team isn’t trying or were too cheap to match the Mets’ deal. (In reality, the offers were so different that it was almost like they were playing a different sport. Even though the Phillies offered more guaranteed money, the Mets are paying Bichette $42 in 2026, and he’ll have a chance to get a new deal next year when he might be the best free agent available.)
Looking beyond the disappointment at the Phillies not getting their shiny new toy, here’s the reality of the situation:
- If the Phillies had signed Bichette, they would have been very likely to make the playoffs but still wouldn’t be the favorites because the Dodgers have an absolutely stacked roster.
- Without Bichette, they are still likely to make the playoffs, but they won’t be the favorites because the Dodgers have an absolutely stacked roster.
It’s possible that the Phillies had a chance to match the Mets’ offer but simply refused because they did that calculus. Why spend a fortune in luxury tax money – as well as major penalties in amateur player acquisition – if you’re still going to be dependent on the Dodgers suffering some bad injury luck or having a bad week or so in October?
The Phillies could still make some moves to improve the team, and sadly it might not even matter. Because the way the baseball landscape currently exists, this is the Dodgers world, and the Phillies and 28 other teams are simply living in it.
