Mets’ Bo Bichette says he wasn’t close to signing with the Phillies in the offseason
The Phillies thought they were on the verge of signing Bichette as a free agent in January. Facing them for the first time this season since joining the Mets, he says he has a different recollection.
Even now, five months later, Phillies officials say they went to sleep Jan. 15 believing they were on the verge of signing Bo Bichette as a free agent.
Bichette has a slightly different recollection.
“I thought it was an opportunity, for sure, but there was definitely things that needed to be worked out for that to become a possibility,” the Mets shortstop said Thursday before facing the Phillies for the first time this season. “So, no, I didn’t think that [it was close].”
» READ MORE: The Phillies were ‘very close’ to getting Bo Bichette and ended up with J.T. Realmuto. Here’s how it happened.
The Phillies made a seven-year, $200 million offer to Bichette to play third base. If he accepted, it would’ve set in motion other moves, including a likely trade of Alec Bohm and not re-signing longtime catcher J.T. Realmuto.
But the rival Mets swooped in Jan. 16 with a three-year, $126 million offer that included an opt-out after each of the first two years. Bichette chose the higher annual salary and the shorter term.
Most Phillies officials said they found out about it like the public did — through reports in the media. Some within the halls of Citizens Bank Park were said to be angry.
Dave Dombrowski referred to it as a “gut punch,” although he conceded that the Phillies and Bichette never signed a “memorandum of understanding,” the document that would’ve constituted a deal.
“At 11 o’clock that night, we had a deal, in our opinion,” owner John Middleton told The Inquirer in February. “Not finalized. And the Mets did nothing that we wouldn’t have done and haven’t done, so I don’t blame the Mets. But you went to bed at 11 o’clock thinking we had a deal, and I woke up at 8 o’clock worried we didn’t have a deal, and two hours later, I knew we didn’t have a deal.”
The member of the organization who is closest to Bichette also thought the star infielder was headed to Philadelphia. Interim manager Don Mattingly, newly hired in January as the Phillies’ bench coach, was ready to welcome Bichette.
“I was a little surprised because I thought it was one of those that, it was kind of a done deal — or at least really close to it and looked good for us, you know?" Mattingly said Thursday. “I know some stuff went down timing-wise that changed things. But guys have got to do what they’ve got to do for their own career.”
Bichette, 28, has caught fire lately after a brutal start with the Mets. He had 14 hits in 26 at-bats entering Thursday night and was 24-for-62 (.387) with five doubles, three homers, and a 1.039 OPS in June.
» READ MORE: Phillies send Andrew Painter down to triple A after another ugly start
The Phillies are still looking for a middle-of-the-order bat, preferably from the right side.
Bichette, whose godfather is former Phillies manager Joe Girardi, was clearly a fit. But he said he never reached out to Girardi to ask about Philadelphia.
He never pictured how he’d look in red pinstripes, either.
“I mean, we had a lot of good talks,” Bichette said. “It’s a great team over there, and obviously Donnie being over there was enticing to me. But at the end of the day, I think it just became obvious to me that [the Mets] was the right decision for me and my wife.”
Bichette said he wasn’t sure what type of reception he would receive when he came to the plate in the first inning.
“It’s a passionate fan base, you know?” Bichette said, smiling. “You watch Eagles games and Phillie games. I don’t know what the reception will be, but I definitely won’t be surprised at anything.”
Say this for the Phillies: They are what we thought they were, a playoff contender led by two aces atop the starting rotation and a dominant closer. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham joins "Phillies Extra," The Inquirer's baseball podcast, to discuss the state of the Phillies' pitching, from the success of Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler to the struggles of Andrew Painter. Watch here.
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