Phillies president Dave Dombrowski: Losing prized free-agent Bo Bichette to rival Mets a gut punch

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bo Bichette spurning the Phillies for the NL East rival New York Mets was akin to a gut punch for the NL East champions.

A two-time All-Star shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette agreed last week with the Mets to a $126 million, three-year contract that left the Phillies reeling. Philadelphia believed the former batting champion was on the brink of joining a potent lineup that already included Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner.

“It's a gut punch,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday. “You feel it. That day you are very upset, I guess is the way to say it. You have to pick yourself up and shake it off. You can't just wallow in what took place.”

The Phillies had a productive meeting with Bichette early last week and were expected to prepare a long-term deal only for the infielder to head instead to New York.

“I can't say that we ever thought it was done,” Dombrowski said. “There's a difference. We thought we were very close to having a deal done. We thought it was going to happen. But it wasn't done.”

Dombrowski said the Phillies and Bichette never signed a letter of agreement that would have locked the infielder into a deal, pending a successful physical.

“It wasn't that we weren't moving toward that direction,” Dombrowski said. “It isn't that we didn't think we were going to get there based up on our conversations. We did not get to that point. So, I can't say I ever thought we had it done. I did think we were going to get a deal done.”

Dombrowski declined to say whether the Phillies had an oral agreement with Bichette and his agency, Vayner Baseball.

“We were at the numbers they really asked us to match,” Dombrowski said. “We were still going through some nuances.”

Dombrowski said he had a hunch the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers signing Kyle Tucker to a $240 million, four-year contract changed the free-agent landscape.

The Mets jumped in with a short-term offer with opt outs that appealed more to Bichette. The infielder can opt out of the deal after the first or second season to become a free agent again. He would receive $47 million for one year and $89 million for two years.

New York's agreement does not contain any deferred money, and Bichette gets a full no-trade provision. His $42 million average annual value ties for the sixth-highest in baseball history.

The Phillies traditionally do not offer opt-outs in their contracts — Harper doesn't have one in his 13-year, $330 million deal nor Turner in his 11-year, $300 million contract. Dombrowski said he's not a believer in the provision, either, and didn't necessarily think the organization would have to change its stance to entice future free agents to sign in Philadelphia.

“I have never felt myself. and still don't feel it's a wise move to make when you look at the risks attached to it,” Dombrowski said.

Dombrowski noted the obvious realities; a really good year means the player will opt out and likely sign elsewhere and a bad or injury-plagued year means that team has an obligation for more seasons.

“It's a policy I've had for a long time, and I think I would say the majority of clubs have that policy,” he said.

Once Bichette's possible deal fell through, the Phillies rebounded by signing catcher J.T. Realmuto to a $45 million, three-year contract.

A three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, Realmuto, of course, did not receive an opt out and he made his decision a month after Schwarber also chose to remain with the Phillies, agreeing to a $150 million, five-year deal.

“People forget we re-signed Schwarbs,” Dombrowski said. “If we hadn't re-signed him, I don't know how I would be feeling about the wintertime.”

Philadelphia is bringing back most of the roster that won 96 games and the NL East title before it lost to the Dodgers in the NL Division Series.

Even with free-agent stars such as outfielder Cody Bellinger and left-handed starter Framber Valdez available, Dombrowski said the roster should be set.

“I think we're content where we are at this point,” Dombrowski said.

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

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