Losing out on Bo Bichette, a player the Philadelphia Phillies desperately needed, to the Toronto Blue Jays would've been one thing. Who would've faulted Bichette for wanting to re-sign with the team he had played with his entire career and was two outs away from winning a World Series title? Losing out on him to the New York Mets, though, only adds fuel to the existing fire within the Mets-Phillies rivalry.
Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million deal with New York on Friday. The deal allows Bichette to opt out after 2026 and 2027, has no deferred money, and pays him $42 million annually. As if bolting for a division rival wasn't bad enough, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the Phillies accepted Bichette's contract proposal, only for the infielder to spurn them at the last second to sign with the Mets. Bichette is sure to be public enemy No. 1 whenever he sets foot at Citizens Bank Park in a Mets uniform.
The Phillies had agreed to Bo Bichette’s request for a 7-year, $200 million deal last night and believed they would sign him until the Mets swooped in with their 3-year, $126 million offer after losing out in in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 16, 2026
Bo Bichette turned Phillies down in most savage way
It felt as if Bichette to Philadelphia was a matter of when, not if. The Phillies had expressed serious interest in signing him, and the Blue Jays seemed solely focused on Kyle Tucker. As for the Mets, well, they weren't linked to Bichette at all. Missing out on Tucker themselves caused David Stearns to pivot to Bichette, and not even 24 hours after Tucker signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bichette was ticketed to New York.
It would've been one thing if Bichette was linked to the Mets the whole time. It would've been another had Bichette signed with a team like the Jays. Bichette signing out of nowhere with the team that Phillies fans despise the most on a short-term deal feels like the worst-case scenario possible.
The contract the Mets offered Bichette is objectively more enticing, especially knowing that the soon-to-be 28-year-old can re-test free agency next winter and quite possibly be the best position player available, but Phillies fans don't care about that, and honestly, why should they when they feel like their team got used?
Mets-Phillies rivalry could reach new heights
These two teams already hated each other. They're division rivals who played evenly head-to-head this past season and faced off in a playoff series in 2024. Every time guys like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto step up to the plate in Philadelphia, they get booed. How will it be like when Bichette comes up to bat in Philadelphia?
Again, Phillies fans feel as if their team was used by Bichette to get this Mets deal, and it's hard to blame them for that. It's sure to be a hostile environment.
These two teams should both be competitive in 2026. Perhaps the worst part about this from a Phillies perspective is that this deal makes things tighter in the NL East.
Phillies NL East title defense is in jeopardy after Bo Bichette decision
The Phillies have won back-to-back National League East division titles, but are we sure they're going to win a third? They should be seen as the favorites to three-peat, but they've only gotten worse while an argument can be made that both the Mets and the Atlanta Braves have gotten better.
The Mets still have work to do in their rotation, but a case can be made that swapping out Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil for Bichette, Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien is an upgrade. Losing Edwin Diaz hurts, but the Mets have added to their bullpen and probably aren't done yet either. The Braves are bound to have better injury luck this season and greatly improved their lineup depth and their bullpen.
As for the Phillies, yes, they re-signed Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, but lost Ranger Suarez and have made no notable upgrades to a roster that's consistently fallen short in October.
Everything about this deal is bad. The Phillies didn't get Bichette, he chose the Mets, and the Mets should make things more interesting in the NL East at least in 2026 as a result.
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