Bo Bichette's Mets Contract a 'Gut Punch,' Phillies' Dave Dombrowski Says

Phillies Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is still feeling the sting after being spurned by Bo Bichette, who negotiated with Philly but ultimately signed a three-year, $126 million deal with their rivals, the New York Mets.

"It's a gut punch," Dombrowski told reporters Tuesday. "You feel it. That day you are very upset, I guess is the way to say it. You have to pick yourself up and shake it off. You can't just wallow in what took place."

Reports have suggested the Phillies had a seven-year, $200 million offer on the table for Bichette. He instead took a higher average annual salary and the flexibility of two opt-outs that the Mets offer instead, which could allow him to hit free agency again as soon as next winter.

"I can't say that we ever thought it was done," Dombrowski said of the negotiations with Bichette. "There's a difference. We thought we were very close to having a deal done. We thought it was going to happen. But it wasn't done. ... We were at the numbers they really asked us to match. We were still going through some nuances."

Instead, the Phillies pivoted to retaining J.T. Realmuto, signing him to a three-year, $45 million deal.

"There at the end, it got a little stressful where we thought there was a chance we weren't going to be back," Realmuto told reporters. "Obviously, wasn't ideal for us. We made it pretty clear we wanted to be with the Phillies from the start. Luckily, that didn't last too long, and we were able to come together and get a deal done."

While the pitching staff will surely be glad to have Realmuto back, the mood in Philadelphia after the team's winter moves could best be described as discontented. With the exception of some changes to the bullpen, the promotion of outfield prospect Justin Crawford and the loss of starting pitcher Ranger Suárez, the Phillies are largely running it back next season with a core group that has failed to get over hump. The team's two biggest moves this offseason have been re-signing Kyle Schwarber and Realmuto.

Granted, it's also a group that has reached the playoffs four straight times and one that played the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers tough in the NLDS. If Zack Wheeler returns to form after thoracic outlet syndrome cut his 2025 season short and top prospect Andrew Painter lives up to his potential, the Phillies will have the best rotation in the sport. They remain contenders.

But they also haven't won a playoff series in two straight seasons. There was the sense that the front office needed to shake up the core a bit, and Bichette would have fit the bill. The fact that he not only spurned the Phillies, but did so for one of their primary rivals, was indeed a gut punch.