PHILADELPHIA -- Dave Dombrowski didn’t hide the disappointment on Tuesday morning.
The Phillies’ president of baseball operations said the club believed it was closing in on a deal for Bo Bichette, a pursuit that reached the final stages before ultimately falling apart — forcing the organization into an immediate pivot.
“It’s a gut punch,” Dombrowski said. “But we did rebound by signing J.T. right away.”
That rebound came quickly. Dombrowski said once it became clear the Bichette deal was not going to happen, he called Phillies managing partner John Middleton to explain the situation. Moments later, Dombrowski said, he reached out to J.T. Realmuto’s representatives to wrap up the deal.
“I won’t get into the blow by blow,” Dombrowski said of the Bichette negotiations. “But we just thought we were going to get a deal done.”
Internally, Bichette was viewed as a chance to solve multiple questions with a single move. His right-handed bat addressed a lineup need, while his age and track record aligned with a roster that is beginning to turn over at key positions. For the Phillies, the pursuit was less about a single position than about upgrading the overall shape of the lineup and creating optionality as younger players push closer to the major-league level.
The Phillies formally announced Realmuto's three-year deal on Tuesday morning.
Realmuto said he always wanted to return to Philadelphia and believed it would eventually happen, but acknowledged the situation became uncertain once the Phillies moved aggressively on Bichette.
“It got hairy in the end,” Realmuto said, noting that he understood he would likely be gone if the Phillies completed the Bichette deal.
Dombrowski confirmed he was transparent with Realmuto’s camp throughout the process, telling them directly that the Phillies were getting very close on Bichette and that the club would not be able to complete both deals.
When the Bichette pursuit collapsed, the Phillies acted immediately to secure Realmuto, a player they viewed as essential to maintaining stability while navigating a roster that is gradually shifting toward its next phase.
“You always have to be open-minded in the wintertime, to try and get better,” Dombrowski said. “That’s what we try to do. It doesn’t always become this public, but we do that.”
Following the Realmuto signing, Dombrowski indicated the Phillies are not actively pressing for another major move.
“We’re content where we are at this point,” he said.
That contentment does not signal stagnation. Dombrowski emphasized the importance of beginning to integrate young talent into the major-league roster, identifying several prospects the organization views as part of its near-term future, including Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Aidan Miller.
“We need to start working some young guys into our club,” Dombrowski said.
For the Phillies, the winter will be remembered as much for how close it came together as for what ultimately materialized — a reminder of how narrow the margins can be at the top of the market, and how quickly plans can change when opportunity slips away.
“It got hairy in the end,” Realmuto said, noting that he understood he would likely be gone if the Phillies completed the Bichette deal.
Dombrowski confirmed he was transparent with Realmuto’s camp throughout the process, telling them directly that the Phillies were getting very close on Bichette and that the club would not be able to complete both deals.
When the Bichette pursuit collapsed, the Phillies acted immediately to secure Realmuto, a player they viewed as essential to maintaining stability while navigating a roster that is gradually shifting toward its next phase.
“You always have to be open-minded in the wintertime, to try and get better,” Dombrowski said. “That’s what we try to do. It doesn’t always become this public, but we do that.”
Following the Realmuto signing, Dombrowski indicated the Phillies are not actively pressing for another major move.
“We’re content where we are at this point,” he said.
That contentment does not signal stagnation. Dombrowski emphasized the importance of beginning to integrate young talent into the major-league roster, identifying several prospects the organization views as part of its near-term future, including Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Aidan Miller.
“We need to start working some young guys into our club,” Dombrowski said.
For the Phillies, the winter will be remembered as much for how close it came together as for what ultimately materialized — a reminder of how narrow the margins can be at the top of the market, and how quickly plans can change when opportunity slips away.
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