January 16, 2026
For Philly sports fans waiting for some good news with the Eagles, Sixers and Flyers all stumbling, the wait could be over soon.
In the wake of some monster signings amid MLB's free agency finally breaking its logjam — Alex Bregman to the Cubs, Ranger Suárez to the Red Sox and Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers — the Phillies need to do something to keep up.
The Dodgers are spending. The Phillies need to, too. And they could be very soon, as Bo Bichette's next employer is all but decided, according to a pair of MLB insiders.
The Phillies are the overwhelming favorites to sign infielder Bo Bichette while the Yankees and Mets will now be in a bidding war for outfielder Cody Bellinger.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 16, 2026
Even after losing out on Kyle Tucker, @Ken_Rosenthal doesn't anticipate the Blue Jays re-signing Bo Bichette.
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 16, 2026
"I still believe, rather strongly, that he's going to end up with the Philadelphia Phillies." pic.twitter.com/155qT2W83O
The move will be complicated — likely requiring the team to move on from J.T. Realmuto and to flip Bryson Stott or Alec Bohm for some cash relief and a spot in the lineup for Bichette. But it will certainly boost the Phillies offense.
It's also a big signing from a big picture perspective, as Bichette is just 27. With future free agency classes expected to be pretty bare and with a potential MLB lockout on the horizon, it's important the Phillies take advantage of this opportunity.
The Phillies made a big splash this week – a real one, not a rumor – when they inked 17-year-old Venezuelan outfielder Francisco Renteria — the third best international prospect on the market — to a $4 million deal.
Welcome to the Phillies Family, Francisco ✍️
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) January 15, 2026
We've signed Venezuelan outfielder, and @MLBPipeline's No. 3 international prospect, Francisco Renteria as part of our 2026 International Signing Class pic.twitter.com/RHG7X8wig9
Unlike with domestic players who are drafted, international players are able to sign on the open market and the Phillies were the biggest bidders for Renteria, who has a stout 6-foot, 200 pound frame. He is believed to have the ability to flash all tools and will be honing his craft in the minors this summer. And you can bet he'll be near the top of team prospect rankings, too.
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