Multiple insiders make Phillies' Bo Bichette chances sound too good to be true

How much will are Philadelphia Phillies fans buying into the Bo Bichette rumors? It's exciting, indeed, but many will try not to get their expectations up too high for fear of being hurt by another missed opportunity to make a big splash.

Nobody really knows how all this will turn out, but with Monday's meeting with the star free agent now presumably in the books, should we be expecting to hear the news we want to hear?

While Phillies fans of course want to see Bichette sign in Philadelphia, we don't know how aggressive the front office will be. There's plenty of competition for Bichette (subscription required) and if the Phillies' pursuit is underwhelming this could quickly turn into a nothing burger.

The Phillies haven't signed a big free agent since Trea Turner at the 2022 MLB Winter Meetings. Over the last two offseasons it has been a parade of bargain-bin deals for veteran players. None of them have worked out.

So where do they stand in Bichette's market?

Ruden Amaro Jr. says the Phillies are serious about signing Bo Bichette

Some experts are giving the Phillies a good chance at emerging victorious in the Bichette sweepstakes. Former Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. gave the idea of Bichette landing in Philadelphia a serious boost of confidence on the most recent episode of The Phillies Show. 

Speaking with Todd Zolecki and Jim Salisbury on the podcast, Amaro noted that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski doesn’t mess around and do things for show. He seems to think that the fact that they’re having this meeting and that it has gotten out into the offseason rumor mill means that Dombrowski is serious about this pursuit.

"I do think that there's great interest, they wouldn't be having a meeting otherwise," Amaro said of the Phillies' interest in Bichette. "Dave Dombrowski doesn't do things for show ... Dave Dombrowski's not a game player.

But how good are the Phillies chances?

"I think it's gotten some momentum, there's no question about it," Amaro added. "I don't know what the percentage of the chances of it happening, but I think it'd be over 50 percent especially since the Phillies are and Dave Dombrowski is pretty sincere when he shows his hand and has interest."

Ken Rosenthal calls Phillies the 'favorite' in Bo Bichette sweepstakes

And Amaro isn't the only one who thinks the Phillies are serious. There’s also been chatter from other MLB insiders around the league. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal is the latest industry expert to put the Phillies ahead of the competition for Bichette.

Rosenthal, on his Fair Territory podcast, discussed the Bichette to Philly possibility and actually named the Phillies as the favorite to land the two-time All-Star shortstop.

"In this meeting I'm sure the Phillies are going to push for Bichette," Rosenthal said. "And it's the kind of thing, while it's on Zoom, you don't want to let him get off the Zoom without getting a deal done, right? It's that old theory, don't let them walk out of the room until he signs a contract. You can't really do that on Zoom, I guess, but it's the same working idea. ... If I had to guess right now, I would say the Phillies are the favorite."

The Phillies are not only up against their desire to maintain a manageable payroll around the $300 million mark, they’re also up against some other heavyweights looking to sign Bichette. While the Chicago Cubs are out of the picture after adding Alex Bregman over the weekend, Bichette still has the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and maybe even his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays as possible landing spots.

The Yankees have had an offseason to forget so far, so who knows what they’re capable of? The Red Sox are thought to be likely going hard after Bichette after losing out on Bregman. The Dodgers are always a threat because they’re the Dodgers. And the Blue Jays, despite rumors that they’re focusing on Kyle Tucker at this point, can’t be ruled out based on their shared history with Bichette.

All of this is to say that only Bichette knows where he's leaning and if we're even close to a resolution. Based on everything we've been hearing, Phillies fans have every right to get excited. But we're also experienced enough to keep our expectations tempered.