The Philadelphia Phillies have had a relatively quiet offseason since bringing back Kyle Schwarber on a five-year, $150 million contract.
The Phillies have been mentioned in numerous rumors this offseason regarding some of the top free agents available, but after retaining Schwarber, the team has not been as aggressive. After a disappointing postseason loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, clearly, Philadelphia needs to make some additions, and one interesting option is Toronto Blue Jays star shortstop Bo Bichette.
With the Phillies reportedly meeting with Bichette on Monday, per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic believes that the Phillies should be considered the favorites to sign the 27-year-old All-Star.
“Alonso said the Orioles made an offer, showing their intent, before he even was in the meeting with them,” Rosenthal said in a video posted to X by “Foul Territory” on Monday. “They made that offer before the meeting, and I imagine if the Phillies want to be aggressive with Bichette, they will do something along those same lines. If I had to guess right now, I would say the Phillies are the favorite.”
Philadelphia will face stiff competition in its pursuit of Bichette, with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees remaining potential landing spots for the two-time All-Star. Bringing in Bichette would be a great move, but the Phillies would likely move Bichette over to third base, which he is reportedly willing to do.
The Phillies will need to be aggressive in their pursuit of Bichette, as the 27-year-old’s free agency is likely to heat up quickly after Alex Bregman reportedly agreed to a massive five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
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