The Phillies join the Bo Bichette derby

Since the opening of the free agent market, Bo Bichette's name has been echoing around North America, mainly among teams capable of acquiring the services of a player of his quality.

In turn, the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, and Red Sox have shown interest in the man who has only played for the Blue Jays since the start of his career in 2019. At 27, he's a coveted athlete, as his batting stroke is far above average.

Of course, the Jays are also interested in keeping Bichette in town to continue the adventure with him, but at what price?

At the start of 2026, with training camps only a few weeks away, Bichette still hasn't found a buyer (nor have Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, for that matter), and his non-signing remains a mystery to many observers of the Major League Baseball scene.

Why is a player of his caliber still available, when so many other free agents have found their niche somewhere? The Philadelphia Phillies may have the answer, and they seem interested in remedying the shortstop's situation by entering the discussion.

Rob Thomson's team is interested in number 11, and perhaps that will make things move in a different direction over the next few days? Another big market is joining the dance, giving the Bichette clan additional arguments to find the right fit for the years to come.

As we all know, the Phillies want to win now, and their regular lineup isn't very young anymore. By adding a player with several good years left in him, the team could keep its chances of winning alive over a longer period of time.

Bo Bichette is a bugaboo in his own right. He's the only hitter who's maintained a .300 batting average no matter what he's faced. Fastballs, breaking balls, and speed changes hold no secrets for him. He hits the ball when it's in front of him, and with authority to boot.

The Phillies are among a number of big-market teams to have interest in Bo Bichette, an ultra young (27) free agent. Yanks, Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox and incumbent Jays, too. Bichette is the only player to hit .300 vs. fastballs, breaking balls and also changeups/splits.

– Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 3, 2026

In 2025, despite a few injuries, he hit for a .311 average and was slowly but surely on his way to a 200-hit season.

The elephant in the room is Bo's defensive game. As a shortstop, he's one of the worst of his brotherhood. Most defensive stats don't work in his favor, and his openness to moving to second base has rekindled the flame for him.

Bichette the second baseman is more attractive and would find himself in a better chair, in Philadelphia as elsewhere.

Does the signing of Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto mark the end for Bichette in Toronto? Not necessarily, as the Jays have been on a mission since the end of last season to win major honors at all costs, and securing the services of the man they've developed is always part of the solution.

Whether in Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, or Toronto, Bo Bichette is a top-quality athlete who will certainly help his next team improve their chances of winning.

Offensively speaking, few players can emulate him. If he can improve his defensive game, he'll become an even more dominant athlete.

This content was created with the help of AI.