Aug 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson speaks to the media before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. (Grace Del Pizzo/On Pattison)
Monday, Rob Thomson became the first Phillies official to comment publicly since the team missed out on Bo Bichette in free agency last week.
Speaking to Rob Kuestner of NBC 10, Thomson was asked whether he was disappointed that the Phillies didn't land Bichette.
"For the moment disappointed, but we gotta move on. We can't do anything about it now," Thomson said.
"We've got a really good club ... 96 wins last year ... we got Schwarber back ... we got J.T. back ... a lot of really good things happening. We're gonna infuse the lineup with some youth with Painter and Justin Crawford, and obviously we had Otto Kemp last year. And there's more to come with [Aidan] Miller and [Gabriel] Rincones Jr. So the future is looking bright."
Caught up with Phillies manager Rob Thomson today and asked him about the team missing out on signing Bo Bichette @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/iltTDA498W
Thomson is a positive person in general, so while he no doubt privately had to be upset that the NL East-rival Mets swooped in and signed Bichette when he appeared headed to the Phillies, it's not surprising to hear him already looking forward.
And look, for as upset as people are that the Phillies will largely return the same team for another year, some have been dramatic in their responses to the Bichette saga.
First of all, it's hard to say that the Phillies didn't make a serious offer when they reportedly put a seven-year/$200 million pact on the table in front of Bichette. The Mets gave the 27-year-old an even better deal in the form of a three-year/$126 million contract that allows Bichette to opt out after 2026 or 2027 if he chooses. It's not surprising Bichette took that, because it's about as player-friendly of a short-term deal as you'll get. Not only have the Mets given Bichette all the leverage in their relationship, but they will lose their second and fifth-round picks in the 2026 MLB Draft, along with $1 million in international bonus pool money, for signing him as a qualified free agent. It's a major risk to give all that up for a player you're only guaranteed to have for one season.
Secondly, while the Phillies do seemingly lack a cleanup hitter without Bichette, they did win 96 games last year. This shouldn't be treated like if the Phillies hadn't signed Bryce Harper before the 2019 season. The Phillies are still arguably the favorites to win the NL East. Obviously, just getting to the postseason isn't enough at this stage, but it's not as though the summer at Citizens Bank Park is destined to be miserable now.
Make no mistake, it burns the Phillies to not have landed Bichette, especially when it seemed like he was within their grasp. But it doesn't make sense for the Phillies — or their fans — to have a defeatist attitude about 2026.
