If the Philadelphia Phillies sign Bo Bichette, it means an obvious trade is incoming.
Just when it looked like the Philadelphia Phillies were completely dormant this offseason, they surfaced as a potential landing spot for free-agent infielder Bo Bichette.
Bichette's market has been relatively tame up until the last week, where a few teams suddenly jumped into the fray and could forge some sort of bidding war for the two-time All-Star.
But do the Phillies actually make sense for Bichette?
Philadelphia currently has Trea Turner at shortstop, and he isn't moving. So that would mean Bichette — who has played shortstop throughout his entire big-league career — would have to change positions.
Luckily, Bichette is reportedly open to the idea of moving to second base, where the Phillies are currently employing Bryson Stott.
Stott was floated as a trade candidate earlier this offseason, so it stands to reason that Philadelphia could jettison the 28-year-old to clear room for Bichette.
Another option for the Phillies would be moving Bichette or Stott over to third base and trading Alec Bohm, whose name has appeared incessantly in trade speculation since last winter.
Philadelphia Phillies infielders Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.Obviously, a trade would have to follow a Bichette signing, but how Philadelphia would go about doing it remains to be seen.
And that's if, of course, the Phillies actually add Bichette.
My guess is that Bichette — who was rumored to be seeking a contract worth in the neighborhood of $200 million — is not seeing his market develop like he initially had hoped. Perhaps no team is offering close to that amount of money, which could have opened the door for Philadelphia, even after it re-signed Kyle Schwarber on a $155 million deal.
Remember: the Phillies were just hit with a $56 million luxury tax bill, so they are trying to be careful when it comes to spending. That's why everyone has been operating under the assumption that Ranger Suarez is a goner in free agency.
This would also create an interesting dynamic with catcher J.T. Realmuto. Would a Bichette acquisition essentially mean that Philadelphia is not retaining Realmuto? Or would the Phillies be okay with splurging on both?
There are numerous ramifications here, but it certainly makes for some interesting discussion in what has been an otherwise boring MLB offseason.