Phillies Losing Out on Bo Bichette to Mets Has Been Blessing in Disguise

The Philadelphia Phillies were disappointed to have lost Bo Bichette to the New York Mets, but it has been a blessing in disguise.

Apr 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Bo Bichette (19) runs out a single against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Citi Field. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

This offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies looked to have made a major addition to their lineup in free agency.

Reports were floating around that they were closing in on an agreement with free agent Bo Bichette. One of the most consistent offensive producers in baseball, there was a lot of excitement about what his addition could mean for the team.

However, it wasn’t meant to be. At the 11th hour, their National League East rivals, the New York Mets, swooped in with a massive contract offer. After missing out on some free agent targets and seeing their star Pete Alonso depart, they signed Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract.

It was incredibly disappointing for Phillies fans to see their hated rivals steal a talented player out from underneath them, despite pivoting to bring back catcher J.T. Realmuto. Bichette led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022 and is a two-time All-Star.

Phillies were rightfully disappointed to miss Bo Bichette

Mar 30, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) hits a one run single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Before a knee injury derailed his 2025 campaign, he was on pace to lead the league in hits for a third time. He produced a .311/.357/.483 slash line with the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting 44 doubles and 18 home runs with 93 RBI to successfully bounce back from a disastrous 2024 campaign.

Missing out on him looks to be a brutal turn of events for Philadelphia, but a few weeks into the season, it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Bichette’s transition to the Mets has not been a good one. Through his first 23 games and 102 plate appearances, he produced a .219/.255/.281 slash line, showing none of the qualities at the plate that landed him that contract in the first place.

He has an alarming chase rate of 42.9%, which is in the fourth percentile. His bat speed has dropped to 69.2 mph, which is in the 14th percentile, and he has produced -7 Batting Run Value, which is in the third percentile.

Philadelphia has avoided disaster with Bo Bichette

Apr 8, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) hits a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Citi Field. | John Jones-Imagn Images

His xBA of .292 is in the 88th percentile, which insinuates there has been some bad luck in his raw production. However, he isn’t coming close to living up to the expectations that were on him after signing a contract of that size.

Bichette’s struggles are certainly contributing to the Mets not playing well, as they are the only team performing at a worse level than the Phillies at this point.

While Philadelphia fans can take some solace in knowing that a player who was stolen from their team by a rival isn’t playing well, the Phillies have plenty of their own issues that need to be worked through.