The uncertainty at the catcher position remains one of the ongoing concerns for the Philadelphia Phillies. The front office offered J.T. Realmuto a contract offer earlier this offseason, but the veteran backstop remains unsigned.
Recent rumors have officially connected infielder Bo Bichette with the Phillies. Due to the cost, the team will only agree to a contract with one of the two players. Phillies fans recently expressed their opinion on which free agent they prefer to add.
In a poll on X (formerly Twitter) for SportsRadio 94 WIP’s Morning Show with Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie on Jan. 7, Phillies fans overwhelmingly voted that they’d prefer the organization add Bichette over re-signing Realmuto by a significant margin. The infielder received 78.9 percent of votes, compared to 21.1 percent in favor of Realmuto.
Fans ready to say goodbye to J.T. Realmuto as Phillies reportedly set to meet Bo Bichette
While Bichette has had his fair share of injuries and is not the best defensive shortstop, he would improve the Phillies’ lineup. The Orlando, Florida, native totaled 18 home runs and 94 RBIs with a .311/.357/.483 line with an OPS of .840 in 139 games last year.
He is willing to move to second base, as he played there in the World Series last year with the Toronto Blue Jays. Being flexible to changing positions increases his marketability for other clubs that don’t need a shortstop, such as Philadelphia.
Following the Blue Jays’ addition of Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto, re-signing Bichette now looks less likely (subscription required). With Trea Turner at shortstop for the Phillies, signing Bichette to play second base would mean they need to trade Alec Bohm or Bryson Stott. Stott is a good defensive player, but Bichette is the better hitter. Dealing Bohm, who’s entering a contract year, and moving Stott to third base is another alignment that could work.
Realmuto remains a good defensive backstop but is declining offensively. In 134 contests in 2025, he finished with 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .257/.315/.384 slash line with a .699 OPS. If the Phillies re-sign him, it will be a short-term contract, possibly for only two years.
If the Phillies can only sign one of these players, who would you rather sign?
— WIP Morning Show (@WIPMorningShow) January 7, 2026
They will need a replacement at catcher then. Well, why not look for a replacement now and sign the younger infielder who is better offensively?
According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb and Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies will meet with Bichette in the coming days (subscription required). This could get interesting fast if the front office is intrigued by making a change to the infield. Of course, nothing could come of the meeting, but this confirms the team’s interest in him rather than mere speculation.
The Phillies do have more of a need to resolve their catcher situation rather than making a change at second base. Adding Bichette over re-signing Realmuto creates more questions as to what the front office will do to find a new starting backstop for this season. Many of the club’s fans believe it is a risk worth taking, as they prefer the front office sign the better hitter and take their chances finding another solution at catcher.
Signing Bichette rather than bringing back Realmuto means that the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, would need to add a catcher in free agency or on the trade market and trade their second baseman. He could acquire a backstop in a trade involving Stott. Phillies fans believe this change is necessary to give the club a boost on offense in their pursuit of a World Series.
