Phillies-Bo Bichette buzz may give Pirates unexpected (but unnecessary) opportunity

Now that Alex Bregman has signed, the heat is turning up on Bo Bichette. The free-agent shortstop is reportedly meeting with the Phillies, and the Red Sox seem likely to pursue Bichette as a replacement for Bregman as well. If the former Blue Jay opts to move to Philly, a key player may fall right into the Pirates’ lap, but the dominoes need to fall in just the right way for Pittsburgh to snatch up J.T. Realmuto.

A deal with Bichette would push the Phillies’ payroll past the fourth luxury tax level. Spotrac has the Phils paying nearly $35 million in taxes already, and Bichette’s salary would inflate that. Should the Phillies sign Bichette, they will certainly not re-sign Realmuto, positioning the Pirates to swoop in. But should they?

Just because J.T. Realmuto could be available doesn't mean the Pirates should sign him.

The catcher position has been a thorn for the Pirates for years now. Former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis has all the defensive skill you could ask for behind the dish, but his offense has been abysmal. Endy Rodríguez has played just 36 games over the past two years, and Joey Bart regressed to a modest .696 OPS last season.

Realmuto wouldn't necessarily go a long way toward addressing those problems. He’s not the All-Star slugger he once was, but even in a down year in 2025, he posted a 2.5 bWAR, which was better than any Pirates player last year. That said, him at the No. 5 spot in the order isn't a huge upgrade over Bart. Realmuto's bat speed dipped considerably in 2025, and as a result, his hard-hit rate and expected stats fell as well. Bart, on the other hand, made loud contact and increased his walk rate last season.

Even better, Realmuto is only looking for a two-year deal. Projections have him bringing home about $12-15 million AAV. While that’s doable for the Pirates, the short-term deal would position the Pirates to be choosing between Realmuto-Bart or the development of catching prospects Rafael Flores Jr. and Omar Alfonzo, who are knocking on the door of the Majors.

All of this is dependent, though, on the Phillies foregoing Realmuto to sign Bichette. The Red Sox have every reason to shift focus from Bregman to Bo. The Phillies, meanwhile, have Bryson Stott and Trea Turner playing up the middle, but they don't have a suitable replacement for Realmuto. Pursuing J.T. just because he is available isn't the right path for Pittsburgh, so let's hope the in-state rivals make the smart play here.