If you somehow haven’t heard by now, the Philadelphia Phillies will reportedly be meeting with free agent shortstop Bo Bichette via video conference on Monday. It's the excitement Phillies fans have been waiting months for, and now it seems realistic with the two parties connecting this late into free agency.
Although the city of Philadelphia is over the moon about just a semblance of communication between the Phillies and the 27-year-old star, it comes at a suspicious time.
The Phillies have had an offer on the table for free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto since early December, around the time they re-signed their big slugger Kyle Schwarber. There's been radio silence since then, and now this storm surrounding Bichette could serve as additional pressure from the Phillies to get Realmuto to agree to a reduced deal.
Phillies' surprisingly public interest in Bo Bichette could sway new J.T. Realmuto deal
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski usually operates quietly when it comes to free agent and trade dealings and roster changes, but this time is different. Dombrowski could be purposefully allowing this kind of rumor to circulate in order to speed up Realmuto’s decision.
The Phillies won't pay for both players. The Phillies have wanted a reunion with Realmuto, but the market has changed now. It could be thatBichette is forcing the Phillies to consider everything, but it also could just be smoke and mirrors to get a reaction out of Realmuto.
The Phillies are just under the fourth luxury tax threshold at roughly $300 million. Any amount that puts them over the fourth threshold of $304 million would come with a 110 percent tax.
If the Phillies and Realmuto are in a stalemate, the threat of Bichette taking his spot could bode well. To a degree, both sides need one another, but as The Athletic’s Matt Gelb previously noted, “it’s two stubborn parties exercising their rights to be stubborn,” (subscription required).
The Phillies have to be willing to walk from Realmuto at this point. The meeting with Bichette and apparent willingness of the front office to move on could possibly cause some hard feelings with Realmuto, even if the Phillies really want him back. It's unclear if any real feathers have been ruffled, but it can be the nature of the game when it comes to free agency.
Realmuto is a two-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, and one of the best catchers in the franchise’s history. He finished the season hitting .257 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs. He also finished with a .700 OPS, the lowest among qualified catchers in 2025.
Realmuto and the Phillies did have a similar issue when the catcher hit free agency after the 2020 season. He ultimately re-signed to a $115.5 million deal with the Phillies, but didn't come back until Jan. 26. The Phillies won't be offering anything close to that this time, but really have a decision to make between him and Bichette.
The Phillies' patience might finally be running out and now has them potentially bringing an end to this by next week.