(Philadelphia) Seeing Bo Bichette turn the Philadelphia Phillies’ back on their National East rivals was like a slap in the face to the defending section champions.
A two-time All-Star Game selection while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, the shortstop accepted a three-year, $126 million offer from the New York Mets last week. The Phillies were surprised. They believed the former American slugger was close to signing a contract to join Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner in their offensive roles.
“It was a tough blow,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski admitted Tuesday. It hits you. That day you are very angry. But you have to pull yourself together. You can’t let all this affect you. »
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations for the Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies had a productive meeting with Bichette early last week and were considering a long-term contract with him. The field player decided to go to New York.
“I can’t say that at any point we thought the matter was closed,” Dombrowski added. There is a difference. We believed we were very close to an agreement. We thought this would happen. But that didn’t happen. »
Dombrowski said Bichette and the Phillies never signed a letter of agreement, which would have tied Bichette to a contract after he passed a medical exam.
“It’s not that we’re not moving in that direction,” Dombrowski said. Based on our conversations, we believed we were heading towards such a letter. We haven’t reached that point. […] So I can’t say we had an understanding. »
Dombrowski declined to say whether he had a verbal understanding with Bichette and his Vayner Baseball representatives.
We accepted their monetary demands, Dombrowski stressed. We were working out the details. »
Dombrowski believes the Los Angeles Dodgers’ four-year, $240 million signing of Kyle Tucker was a game changer on the free agent market. The Mets came with a short-term offer, giving more freedom to Bichette, who could opt out after the first or second year of the contract. It would then affect 47 or 89 million.
New York’s offer contains no deferred value and Bichette obtained a full no-movement clause. His average annual salary of 42 million is the sixth highest total in baseball history.
The Phillies are not in the habit of offering early termination clauses in their contracts. Harper has none in his 13-year, $330 million pact; no more than Turner, who has a contract for 11 seasons and 300 million. Dombrowski doesn’t like those clauses and doesn’t believe the organization will change its approach to attracting free agents to Philadelphia.
“I never thought it was sensible (to offer these clauses) when you look at the risks associated with them. »
After a good season, the player will take advantage of this clause to receive more money, explained Dombrowski. But a serious or serious injury means the team will have obligations for a few more seasons.
“It’s a policy I’ve been applying for a long time and I think most clubs have the same. »
When the Bichette deal fell through, the Phillies made a three-year, $45 million offer sheet to catcher JT Realmuto, a month after Schwarber agreed to stay in Philadelphia for five years and $150 million.
“People forget that we hired “Schwarb”,” Dombrowski recalled. If we hadn’t signed him again, I don’t know how I would evaluate this winter. »
The Phillies brought back most of the lineup that won 96 games in 2025 before losing to the Dodgers in the National Division Series. Even with big names like Cody Bellinger and Framber Valdez still available, Dombrowski suggested his lineup is complete.
“We are happy with where we are at the moment,” he concluded.
Associated Press reporter Ronald Blum contributed to this article.
