You can feel the excitement brewing around shortstop Bo Bichette and the possibility of him signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. The two sides finally met on Monday, but now await some kind of resolution in the free agent process.
This has become a much bigger fantasy than what Phillies fans had in mind before the offseason began. What once wasn't even on the table now seems almost like an expectation.
Going into the offseason, the Phillies knew they had to adjust some things to their roster. Questions were starting to come up around the current core of players and whether they're still good enough to run it back. There was mutual interest between the Phillies and Bichette, and that's all it took for fans to buy in. It's a change that Phillies fans have been waiting some time for.
The fervor brought on by the possibility of a Bo Bichette signing shows how hungry Phillies fans are for a big splash
Outside of bringing back returning players, the Phillies' last free agent splash was shortstop Trea Turner and his impressive 11-year, $300 million deal. That was back in December of 2022.
To their credit, the Phillies have continued to spend but have more so maintained a consistent roster throughout. They've improved incrementally in areas, with most of their big money being spent on retaining guys like Aaron Nola after the 2023 season and Kyle Schwarber after this past season. Outside those two, they've failed to hand out a multi-year deal at all.
It's hard to be too mad at managing partner John Middleton and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski with the money they have committed already. The Phillies now carry the third-highest payroll in the sport at just under $300 million, but their big market status should give them more flexibility than they've let on.
There have been other stars that have become available to the Phillies in free agency, but the last few seasons have shown a reluctance from the front office to take a risk.
It has a lot to do with the luxury tax and the implications it has on the penalties. The team is approaching the $304 million fourth luxury tax threshold, which would include a 110 percent tax on every dollar over it. They're currently only $3 million shy of breaking that barrier now.
The Phillies have shown they want to spend, but that last hurdle has been a point of emphasis in recent years. Money has come and gone, but the same familiar faces return. Something that Dombrowski was known for before coming to Philadelphia was his risk-taking. He was able to turn a sputtering franchise into a World Series contender. Now a few years later, no real change to speak of has them coasting.
Bichette changes all of that if they can land him. He's a career .294 hitter, with some serious pop and a knack for hitting the ball. Yes, it would cost money and then additional tax, but there's no better way to upgrade the roster than having too many guys for one position. The Phillies can finally shop Alec Bohm if they want and finally shake up the lineup.
With Bichette, it makes sense. The Phillies' lineup would finally feel like a juggernaut again.