Bo Bichette reportedly 'expressed a desire in playing for' Phillies

The hiring of Dan Mattingly as bench coach may already be paying dividends for the Phillies.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, part of the reason the Phillies are suddenly at the forefront of the Bo Bichette sweepstakes is that the two-time All-Star has shown interest in putting on red pinstripes, with the presence of Mattingly at least partially why: 

"The Phillies’ interest in potentially signing Bichette came about after the holidays when Bichette expressed a desire in playing for them, particularly after the hiring last week of Don Mattingly as their bench coach. Mattingly was the Toronto Blue Jays’ bench coach the past three years and became close to Bichette."

Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported last Saturday that the Phillies were interested in Bichette, but it wasn't until Thursday that it became apparent Dave Dombrowski and company are real players for the 27-year-old. Matt Gelb and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that the Phillies have a virtual meeting scheduled with Bichette, with Heyman later reporting that the meeting will take place next Monday. 

For what it's worth, Nightengale says he spoke with a pair of anonymous Phillies executives who "cautioned that signing Bichette remains a long-shot." He goes on to note that, among other things, signing Bichette would require the Phillies let J.T. Realmuto walk in free agency and trade Alec Bohm, who will make $10.2 million in his final year of arbitration. 

But whether it's fair or not, it's going to be hard to put this toothpaste back in the tube. The Phillies clearly don't have a capable cleanup hitter in their lineup right now. Bichette — who hit .311 with an .840 OPS for the Blue Jays last season — could either fill that role, or push one of Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber down in the lineup. At this point, if that doesn't happen, there's going to be quite a bit of disappointment from Phillies fans. 

Read More Phillies Content At On Pattison

1. Phillies reportedly set to meet with Bo Bichette Monday; players have texted him about joining team
2. Phillies Nuggets: Opening Day lineup projection 1.0
3. Phillies have reportedly considered Ryan Jeffers as alternative to J.T. Realmuto
4. Phillies reportedly interested in Randal Grichuk, which seems a bit perplexing
5. Phillies reportedly interested in Bo Bichette; what does it mean for J.T. Realmuto?
6. Phillies don't land Japanese starter Tatsuya Imai, who gets 3-year deal with opt outs
7. Storm warning: 'Not elite' Harper could be the Phillies’ hurricane
8. Erik Kratz warns Phillies fans who 'wanna run this guy out of town,' referring to Nick Castellanos
9. We talked to a prospect expert that's been skeptical of Justin Crawford. Here's what he said.
10. Preston Mattingly says the Phillies 'don't do' player opt-out clauses in contracts

"