According to a report from Matt Gelb and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Philadelphia Phillies will be meeting with free agent infielder Bo Bichette. Gelb and Rosenthal report that the meeting will be virtual and sometime soon. Additionally Gelb and Rosenthal describe the Phillies interest in signing Bichette as legitimate. There are multiple other suitors for Bichette and the Phillies have competition. This comes amidst a waiting game between free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto and the Phillies. Realmuto has had an offer on the table from the Phillies since the Winter Meetings. Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs are currently the catchers on the Phillies 40-man roster.
Phillies Meeting With Bichette
Roster Implications If Signing Occurs
Gelb and Rosenthal report that if the Phillies sign Bichette, they will probably not re-sign Realmuto and the team would likely trade Alec Bohm. Furthermore it is noted by Gelb and Rosenthal that trying to find a trade partner for Bohm will be hard. Bohm will make just over $10 million in 2026, his last year of arbitration eligibility. To add to that Bohm has been shopped in trade talks for the last two off seasons and no other team has acquired him. Finding a catcher to replace Realmuto may also be a challenge. Gelb separately reported the Phillies have called the Minnesota Twins to inquire about a trade for catcher Ryan Jeffers. It is worth noting that Jeffers is a free agent after the 2026 season.
The Fit Within The Team
Bichette is willing to move from shortstop to second base or third base according to Gelb and Rosenthal. This is part of why he is an option for the Phillies. Trea Turner is the shortstop for the long term now after improving defensively in 2025. Aidan Miller may need to start learning how to play corner outfield spots if Bichette signs with the club. Gelb and Rosenthal imply that Bichette would most likely play third base with the Phillies. However, as they point out Bryson Stott does have limited major league experience at third base and Bichette played second base during the 2025 World Series. There are seemingly still some pieces to the puzzle that need to be figured out before Bichette potentially signs with the Phillies.
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