Bo Bichette ultimately chose not to sign with the Phillies, but his deal with the New York Mets could end up being exactly what Alec Bohm needs to take another step forward as an infielder in Philadelphia. That was part of the analysis from Ruben Amaro Jr., alongside Jim Salisbury and Todd Zolecki.
Amaro Jr. pointed to the unique opportunity now in front of Bohm to prove he is a cornerstone infielder for the Phillies. “I got a shot to be the best third baseman in the game,” Amaro Jr. said, outlining what this season could represent for Bohm now that Bichette did not land in Philadelphia.
With the 2027 season shaping up to be a difficult one for free agents, Amaro Jr. added that Bohm is in a position to send a clear message: “Hey man, I’m still here… I’m a valuable major league player — which he is,” Amaro said during The Phillies Show.
Salisbury noted that Bohm had been viewed as a trade candidate
“You see Alec Bohm in the last two years, clearly the guy they wanted to move,” Salisbury said, recalling that the third baseman could have been dealt as recently as last week if not for Bichette’s decision to sign with the Mets.
Amaro Jr. also emphasized that situations like this are simply part of the business of baseball. A former MLB player himself, he noted that not every player reacts the same way. “You hope you know the man well enough to know he’ll shrug it off, go out and play baseball — this is part of the business,” Amaro said.
In a separate post on X dated January 17, Jeff Skversky added context by comparing the two players: “Bo Bichette career stats per game vs. Phillies 3B Alec Bohm. Bo Bichette has better numbers, but it’s not drastic enough to justify the massive difference in money. On top of that, the New York Mets star was one of the worst shortstops in MLB last season for the Blue Jays.”
| Stat (per game) | Bo Bichette | Alec Bohm |
|---|---|---|
| Hits | 1.21 | 1.05 |
| Home Runs | 0.15 | 0.10 |
| RBI | 0.58 | 0.55 |
| Stolen Bases | 0.08 | 0.03 |
| WAR | 0.028 | 0.007 |