Friday represented one of the worst days in recent Philadelphia Phillies history after missing out on signing free agent shortstop Bo Bichette. The Phillies met Bichette's apparent asking price, but it still wasn't enough to prevent the New York Mets from swooping in and signing him to a three-year, $126 million contract.
The fallout from the stunning Bichette news left Philadelphia and its fan base floored after the regurgitated confidence that they were the overwhelming favorites to reel him in (subscription required). That dream is gone now.
The Phillies are now left on the outside looking in, with another offseason of minimal improvements, but still believing they can win. The Phillies don't have to be done just yet with other free agents still on the board, but the list is shrinking by the day. The best remaining position player is still an intriguing case for the Phillies. With outfielder Cody Bellinger still on the market, they could play spoilers to the New York Yankees.
Phillies have chance to upset Yankees with pivot to Cody Bellinger after losing Bo Bichette
No one likes to be embarrassed and surely the Phillies feel the same after what happened Friday. Bichette was supposed to be a major upgrade to the infield, but Bellinger in the outfield makes a lot of sense as well. Talks between the Yankees and Bellinger have stalled, which puts the Phillies in a nice spot. Bellinger could be an unexpected, but welcome pivot for the front office.
The Phillies still need a shakeup to their roster and Bellinger would suffice after the heartbreak of the whiff on Bichette.
The Phillies would need to make room on the roster, and Nick Castellanos again, is the name that has to go in order for that to happen. Castellanos is coming into the fifth and final year of his $100 million contract he signed. He's severely dropped in production in 2025 with a .694 OPS and an ongoing liability on defense. The Phillies will likely eat most of the $20 million in order to trade or release him. The Phillies are up against it with the high payroll, but they have to still go for a big move.
The Phillies could reinvest the money they were going to spend on Bichette and steal Bellinger away from the Yankees. The two sides have been connected all offseason with a ballpark of a five-year deal, worth around $150-$160 million. The Phillies were willing to spend $200 million for seven years on a free agent, so why not just pivot right to Bellinger while he's still there.
Perhaps the feeling won't be the same after the roller coaster of emotions Phillies fans had to go through with Bichette leaving them high and dry, but they can still improve. Bellinger would fix the Phillies’ need for another bat and also drastically improve the outfield to a palatable amount. The Phillies can't dwell on Bichette, and need to really consider Bellinger as their plan B.