Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations David Dombrowski admitted that losing Bo Bichette to the Mets was a “gut punch,” after nearly getting a deal over the finish line.
The Phillies reportedly had a seven-year, $200 million deal just about wrapped up with the 27-year-old star infielder before David Stearns and the Mets — their NL East division rivals — swooped in at the last minute to win his signature on a three-year, $126 million pact.
“I did think we were going to get a deal done,” Dombrowski said (h/t Bob Nightengale, USA Today). “We were close….It was a gut punch. …But until you have a signed memo of understanding, you don’t have a deal.”
Bichette was coming off a strong 2025 season in which he batted .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI in 139 games before a knee injury sidelined him for the final stretch of the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs.
He returned for the World Series, where he nearly hit the second most famous home run in Toronto Blue Jays history — a three-run shot in Game 7 against the Los Angeles Dodgers — but they fell short of a third-ever title in extra innings.
Bichette is moving from shortstop, where his defense had been declining, to third base with the Mets. He will also provide a much-needed right-handed bat to slot in behind Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto.
He will also get to play the Phillies 13 times each year, which will provide Dombrowski and his club plenty of reminders of what they missed out on.
