MLB Insider Reports Phillies Were On Verge Of Signing Bo Bichette To $200 Million Deal

Now that the New York Mets have surprisingly signed Bo Bichette, new details are rising to the surface about Bichette’s free agency negotiations, and the latest intel will be painful for Philadelphia Phillies fans to hear.

According to USA Today’s MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the Phillies offered Bichette a seven-year, $200 million contract last night (Thursday) in line with Bo’s request, which suggests that an agreement was about to happen.

That’s when the Mets decided to swoop in after losing the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes.

New York outbid Philadelphia for Bichette from an AAV standpoint ($126 million over three years), and the rest is history.

The Phillies had agreed to Bo Bichette’s request for a 7-year, $200 million deal last night and believed they would sign him until the Mets swooped in with their 3-year, $126 million offer after losing out in in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 16, 2026

Bichette’s 2025 season with the Toronto Blue Jays marked a return to elite form. He batted .311 across 139 games, tallying 181 hits, 18 home runs, and 94 RBIs while posting an .840 OPS. After a slower mid-year period where his average dipped to .281 in July, Bichette surged late, finishing second in MLB batting average. He earned All-MLB Second Team recognition and shone in the postseason with a .348 average, one homer, and six RBIs over seven games.

Throughout his career, spanning 748 games since debuting in 2019, Bichette holds a .294 average with 111 home runs, 437 RBIs, and 60 stolen bases. The two-time All-Star (2021, 2023) led the AL in hits twice (2021, 2022) and has compiled 21.0 WAR.