Dodgers need to move quickly if they want to tempt Bo Bichette away from Phillies

The Dodgers are definitely, probably, just lying in wait to make another big move, but the clock's ticking and fans are getting antsy. Just because we all know there's no move LA strictly needs to make, doesn't mean that we don't want something to happen. Just to wake us up a little. Give our systems a little jolt.

Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger are lingering, but chatter around Bo Bichette has conspicuously picked up within the last week or so. The extent of the Dodgers' interest in him is unclear (Jon Heyman only reported that the Dodgers have checked in), but David Vassegh was all for the idea.

Unfortunately, a frontrunner has emerged. The Phillies hired Don Mattingly this week, Bichette's former bench coach in Toronto, and the two have a reportedly great relationship. On Thursday, Matt Gelb and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that a meeting between Bichette and the Phillies has been set sometime "in the coming days."

Bichette is reportedly asking for a $300 million deal which, if broken down into a $26 million-ish AAV as he's widely expected to earn, means 11 years. That might be beyond the pale for the Dodgers, but if they really want him, they're going to have to swoop in with a higher AAV soon.

Dodgers have to act fast on Bo Bichette as his talks with Phillies intensify

The Phillies certainly have their fair share of expensive long-term contracts on the books, but still not nearly as many as the Dodgers. Their only fixed parts in terms of position players are Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Trea Turner, making their roster far more fungible and their payroll more flexible than LA's. If they were to get Bichette, it would mean dealing Alec Bohm, but he has generated some trade interest in years past.

Mattingly could be the ringer and maybe Bichette's basically already sold, but the Dodgers could let their money do the talking. They tried giving Harper a four-year, $180 million deal before he signed with the Phillies for 13 years and $330 million, which is very close to what Bichette's looking at. It didn't work with Harper, but the Dodgers have no qualms about throwing deals like that out there in the hopes that they stick.

It'll be up to Bichette and whether or not he prefers stability over money, but if the Dodgers could still make an offer that forces him to stop and seriously consider LA.