Bo Bichette: The Phillies had agreed to his demands and believed they had a deal

Until recently, the Philadelphia Phillies were the overwhelming favorites to get their hands on Bo Bichette. And when we say recently, we're referring to last night (Thursday), before Kyle Tucker signed his outrageous contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In fact, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, officials in the City of Brotherly Love were convinced that they'd get the outfielder under contract before the New York Mets dropped like a stone.

The Phillies had accepted Bo Bichette's request for a seven-year, $200 million contract last night and believed they would sign him until the Mets arrived with their 3-year, $126 million offer after losing the race for Kyle Tucker.

So the Mets, in a panic after Tucker chose the Dodgers over them, offered the Little Doe a three-year, $42 million-a-year contract with opt-outs after 2026 and 2027 plus a full no-trade clause. All this to play third cushion.

https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/2012213977313616284?s=20

There's certainly a risk for Bichette in accepting the Mets' offer, since the Phillies' offer, which met all his demands, guaranteed him an additional $74 million.

The 27-year-old will therefore have to capitalize on his youth and potential to secure an even longer and more lucrative pact, possibly as early as next winter. The fact that he won't have a qualifying offer attached to him could also raise the stakes at that time.

The Phillies are left empty-handed after coming so close to acquiring a .300+ hitter who could change the face of an offensive lineup.

This content was created with the help of AI.