The Phillies believed they were on the verge of landing Bo Bichette, according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, before negotiations unraveled at the final hurdle — prompting a swift change in direction for the club.
“It’s a tough one to take,” Dombrowski said. “But we were able to bounce back quickly by getting J.T. done.”
That pivot happened almost immediately. Once it became apparent that a deal for Bichette would not come together, Dombrowski said he contacted managing partner John Middleton to outline the situation. Shortly thereafter, he reached out to J.T. Realmuto’s representatives to finalize an agreement.
“I won’t go through every detail,” Dombrowski said of the Bichette talks. “We just genuinely believed we were close.”
Within the organization, Bichette was seen as a multi-layered solution. His right-handed bat filled a lineup need, and his age and résumé fit with a roster beginning to experience turnover at several key spots. The pursuit was less about filling a specific position and more about reshaping the lineup and preserving flexibility as younger players inch closer to the majors.
The Phillies officially announced Realmuto’s three-year contract Tuesday morning.
Realmuto said returning to Philadelphia was always his preference and that he felt confident it would ultimately work out, though he admitted the situation became tenuous once the club pushed hard for Bichette.
“It definitely got complicated late,” Realmuto said, acknowledging he expected to move on if the Bichette deal had been completed.
Dombrowski said he kept Realmuto’s camp fully informed throughout the process, explaining that the Phillies were nearing an agreement on Bichette and would not be able to execute both moves.
When negotiations for Bichette collapsed, the Phillies moved quickly to lock up Realmuto, whom they viewed as a stabilizing presence during a transitional period for the roster.
“You have to stay flexible in the offseason and always look for ways to improve,” Dombrowski said. “That’s what we try to do. It’s not always this visible.”
After finalizing the Realmuto deal, Dombrowski indicated the Phillies are not currently pursuing another major acquisition.
“We feel comfortable with where we are right now,” he said.
That comfort does not mean standing still. Dombrowski stressed the importance of gradually incorporating younger players into the big-league mix, pointing to prospects such as Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Aidan Miller as near-term contributors.
“We need to begin integrating some of our young talent,” he said.
Ultimately, the Phillies’ winter may be defined as much by what nearly happened as by what did — a reflection of how thin the margins can be at the top of the market and how quickly plans can shift when a deal falls apart.
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