Next year's MLB free agency class has some serious questions surrounding big-name talent worthy of ponying up money for. What's the next impact move for the Philadelphia Phillies?
New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette will apparently boost that market now after a report suggests that he will opt out of his current three-year, $126 million deal, searching for a fresh payday. The Phillies had Bichette in their sights this past winter, but lost at the last minute to their divisional rival. That has since blown up in their face as another costly rental. With a potentially renewed chance, the Phillies should retest the water to bring Bichette back aboard.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Teams across MLB expect Bichette to opt out of his high-AAV contract and take his chances once again for a bigger payday. Bichette and the Phillies had a seven-year, $200 million deal initially in place before things went awry, so perhaps they will offer something similar to get him to Philadelphia this time around.
Or, maybe, they can get away with offering less, and convince Bichette that playing for a contender is far better than taking as much money as possible to play with a bottom feeder.
Bo Bichette still makes sense for Phillies flawed roster in 2027
Bichette struggled mightily out of the gate in Queens, but since June 3, he has been sporting a 1.104 OPS. Through 75 games in 2026, he has a .250 batting average with eight home runs and 42 RBI. The Phillies will need a third base hole filled with Alec Bohm playing out his last year of arbitration. Bichette now looks more like the player the Phillies were willing to shell out nearly $30 million a year for.
After another year of the trade rumor carousel surrounding Bohm, the Phillies opted to retain him to keep the day care intact at least for a little longer. The big contract year for Bohm has fallen flat with nine home runs, 47 RBI and a .657 OPS, and that's even with a torrid surge over the last month or so. The Phillies will try to get the most out of Bohm until his time ends, but it's difficult to ignore the challenge between the two with Bichette leading Bohm in nearly every offensive category.
It will be another expensive part of this Phillies roster, but they were willing to make that commitment heading into this year. At 28 years old, Bichette still remains a desired target. In no world should the Phillies come back offering top dollar after what he did to them this offseason, but there's a lane for them to comfortably meet somewhere in the middle since Bichette's numbers, when all is said and done, may not command a $200 million contract.
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