Source: Phillies to meet with Bo Bichette; agree to deals with seven players

Facing a deadline Thursday to agree on 2026 salaries or file for arbitration with seven players, the Phillies went 7-for-7, including a one-year deal with Alec Bohm.

But will Bohm still be on the roster by opening day?

The Phillies remain focused on bringing back J.T. Realmuto, according to multiple major league sources. But with the cornerstone catcher still unsigned, the team plans to have a video meeting next week with free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, a source said, confirming a report from The Athletic.

» READ MORE: ‘Not elite’ Bryce Harper could use better lineup protection. Here are the Phillies’ options.

Several hurdles exist in a potential pursuit of Bichette, not the least of which is his positional fit with the Phillies. Save for 32 innings at second base in last year’s World Series, he played only shortstop in seven seasons with the Blue Jays.

The Phillies aren’t moving shortstop Trea Turner and value Bryson Stott’s defense at second base. Bichette hasn’t played third, but the Phillies have transitioned other players to new positions under highly regarded infield coach Bobby Dickerson (Bryce Harper in 2023, for instance.) And other teams are considering Bichette at third base, too.

There’s also a financial component. The Phillies have roughly $302 million in 2026 payroll commitments, encroaching on the highest luxury-tax threshold. They will pay a 110% tax on expenditures above $304 million. (Their 2025 payroll was $314.3 million, fourth-highest in baseball and not including a $56.1 million luxury-tax bill due this month.)

It’s unlikely, then, that the Phillies could sign Bichette and Realmuto. Fitting Bichette into the budget probably would require not only finding a less-expensive catcher, but also trading Bohm at a time when third base-needy teams can still choose from free agents Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez. Bohm agreed Thursday on a $10.2 million salary for 2026, his last season before free agency.

Bichette, who will be 28 this season, reportedly is drawing interest from other big-market teams, including the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs, according to the New York Post.

He also is a .294 career hitter, including .311 last season, with a high contact rate and right-handed power. He hit 18 homers last season, averaged 24 from 2021 to 2023, and could provide protection in the middle of the order for Harper or Kyle Schwarber. And Bichette has a close relationship with new Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly, for whom he played in Toronto.

» READ MORE: Free-agent outlook: J.T. Realmuto will be 35, but he remains as valuable as ever to the Phillies

If the Phillies pivoted from Realmuto, they would have to find a catcher to at least split time with Rafael Marchán or Garrett Stubbs. They also would risk disrupting a starting rotation that reveres Realmuto. Zack Wheeler rarely shakes off any pitch he calls; Cristopher Sánchez described his impact this way: “We’re basically nothing without him.”

The Phillies made at least one offer to Realmuto last month, according to an MLB.com report. But Realmuto is holding out for a higher salary over a two- or three-year term after making a catcher-record $23.1 million per year since 2021. At age 35 this season, he’s unlikely to come close to that salary.

» READ MORE: Murphy: How Bo Bichette could wind up with the Phillies

In addition to Bohm, the Phillies reached agreements on 2026 contracts with the following players (salary figures are according to major league sources): pitchers Jesús Luzardo ($11 million), Jhoan Duran ($7.5 million), and Tanner Banks ($1.2 million); Stott ($5.9 million); infielder Edmundo Sosa ($4.4 million); and outfielder Brandon Marsh ($5.2 million).