the Phillies have scheduled a meeting with the free agent infielder and his representatives at Vayner Sports that will take place within the next few days. Philadelphia's interest "is legitimate," per the report - borne out of Bichette's willingness to move off of shortstop and a protracted stare-down between the Phils and free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, who has yet to sign.
Realmuto has been one of the best catchers of recent history, if not the very best. He has been a mainstay in the big leagues for over a decade now. From 2015 to 2025, he appeared in at least 125 games in all but one full season. The only exception was 2024, when a knee injury limited him to 99 contests. For that 11-year span, he led the majors among primary catchers with 1,362 games played and 36.7 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.
The Blue Jays' catching depth isn't quite as deep as it used to be after trading away Danny Jansen and Gabriel Moreno over the course of past few seasons. That bet ended up paying off for Toronto as the team saw its heights with a catching tandem of Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman in 2025. Both catchers played well, but a large part of the Blue Jays' success on the catching side came from Kirk excellently executing every aspect of his position, from framing to offence. The fact that the Blue Jays always put Kirk in the lineup for almost the entirety of the 2025 postseason run was a testament to their faith in the main catcher.
