Proposed Phillies' Infield Shakeup Could Finally Result in World Series Victory

On Saturday, January 3rd, national MLB Network insider and analyst Jon Heyman reported that the Philadelphia Phillies are among the teams interested in 27-year-old infielder Bo Bichette.

The Phillies are among a number of big-market teams to have interest in Bo Bichette, an ultra young (27) free agent. Yanks, Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox and incumbent Jays, too. Bichette is the only player to hit .300 vs. fastballs, breaking balls and also changeups/splits.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 3, 2026

Bichette is coming off another productive season for the Toronto Blue Jays, where he slashed .311/.357/.483 across 582 at-bats in 139 games, tallying 18 home runs with 94 runs batted in. A late knee injury prevented him from playing in the majority of the postseason, but his heroics in the World Series, albeit not enough to propel the Jays to a championship, were legendary.

He hit .348 with a whopping .922 OPS, and his big moment came in Game 7, where he blasted a three-run, go-ahead homer off of Shohei Ohtani in the 3rd inning. A career .311 hitter (.785 OPS) in the postseason and .294 hitter (.806) in the regular season, combined with his uncommon youth for a free agent, saw him enter the offseason as one of the premier bats available, and he remains unsigned.

On the Phillies' front, Heyman's report was the first legitimate connection between the two parties, but it was one that Philadelphia fans have been clamoring for. With increased frustration in the lack of development in the power industry by former top prospect and current starting third baseman, Alec Bohm, Bichette has been seen as a vast improvement to the Phillies' offense that has repeatedly come up short in October.

How the Pieces Fit

If there's one downside to Bichette's player profile, other than a decently-sized injury history, it would be his continued defensive struggles.

He posted just a 4th-percentile Fielding Run Value in 2025 with -10, per Baseball Savant, and finished similarly poorly in Defensive Runs Saved with -12 and Outs Above Average with -10. A move to second base has long been seen as a potential option for Bichette, with reports earlier this offseason indicating that the player would be open to such a move.

As things stand, the Phillies have a Gold Glove-caliber defender at second base in Bryson Stott, and major defensive strides from Trea Turner in 2025 have seemingly locked in the Philadelphia middle infield for years to come. However, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski has consistently preached the importance of change throughout his career and has never been one to shy away from pouncing on every opportunity to improve his team.

Just wanted to start a discussion amidst recent rumors.

There are contingencies -- but *assuming* the Phillies won't bring back JT and bring in one of Bregman or Bichette, could Pittsburgh be a partner?

Bohm, Castellanos, ($12.5M-$15M), Alex McFarlane for Davis + Keller.… pic.twitter.com/pYrDukHJy2
— Joseph Cammisa (@jcammisabsbl) January 4, 2026

Putting Bichette at third base would be a way to get around that struggle, but his defensive metrics don't suggest that being the smartest idea. Another factor to consider is that Stott has, on multiple occasions, proven to be capable of handling the hot corner.

Signing Bichette, moving Stott to third, and trading Bohm for either bullpen help or a prospect package would create one of the league's most formidable infield offenses, all while maintaining a high-level defensive landscape.

With under 50 days until Spring Training games begin, and the market still robust with talented players, there's no current timetable as to when Bichette will sign a new contract. That could play into Philadelphia's hands if his price descends, but it all remains in limbo for the time being.

How the Pieces Fit

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