After a second disappointing postseason finish, the Philadelphia Phillies may need to get creative to improve their roster for 2025. The Phillies already feature a payroll in the top five in baseball. With a thin free-agent market, the Phillies should look to the trade market to strengthen their ranks.
What are their biggest trade assets? Who should they target? Let’s take a look.
Phillies All-Star Alec Bohm
Let me start by saying there’s no pressing need to trade Alec Bohm. In 2024, Bohm became the first member of the daycare to reach All-Star status. After cooling off in the 2nd half of the season, Bohm still hit .280 with a .779 OPS on the season. That OPS became the highest of his career outside of his rookie 2020 COVID-shortened season.
He tied his career high in RBI from last year in two fewer games. He tallied 10 more extra-base hits in 2024 than in 2023. Most impressively, he posted a positive dWAR for the 1st time in his career. Bohm had been known as a defensive liability for years but finally showed that he could be an average MLB third baseman.
All of these improvements mean that Alec Bohm is the best trade chip the Phillies have. He has 2 more years of team control until he reaches free agency in 2027.
West Coast Trade Partner?
Why trade him now? The Phillies have a chance to capitalize on a league desperate for offense. Enter the Seattle Mariners.
Mariners’ president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto is not shy about trading his players. The Mariners are also a team that wasted an opportunity in 2024. They were 47-39 by the end of June. They led the American League West by 10 games on June 18th. From that July on, they went just .500 and fired their manager, Scott Servais.
Their 3B combined to hit just .213 with a .643 OPS. They need a player like Alec Bohm. What could the Mariners offer in return? Young. Starting. Pitching.
The Mariners had 4 starters not named Luis Castillo, post an ERA of 3.53 or lower in 2024. Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, or Bryan Woo would all help lock down a spot in the Phillies’ rotation until at least 2027. Even Emerson Hancock (who’s 2024 was just OK) would be a great piece for the Phillies to acquire.
With Ranger Suárez being a free agent in 2026, the Phillies would be wise to find his replacement now. Speaking of…
Ranger Suárez
With only a year left of team control, Ranger Suárez could be an interesting trade candidate. Before the All-Star Game, Ranger looked locked in as a potential Cy Young winner. In his first 16 starts, he went 10-2 with a 1.83 ERA. After a back injury, things went off the tracks.
After the All-Star Game, Ranger posted a 5.65 ERA in just 8 starts. Opponents kept hitting him all over the field, allowing a .311 batting average against.
Despite that, Ranger pitched a gritty 4.1 scoreless innings against the Mets in Game 4 for the NLDS. He’s a proven big-game pitcher with a 1.43 postseason ERA in 37.3 IP. In a league thin on starters, he’d be highly desired by almost any team.
Newer playoff teams like the Orioles, Royals, and Tigers could all use another big-game pitcher.
Now, let’s talk about a trade target.
Nolan Arenado
If the Phillies do trade Alec Bohm, they’re going to need a replacement at 3B. How’s the best 3B of this generation sound? It’s been reported that the St. Louis Cardinals will be looking to trade Nolan Arenado this winter.
He’s certainly taken a step back in his offensive production recently, but he could be a solid Bohm replacement. He still plays defense at an elite level. He’s in the 94th percentile in Outs Above Average, according to Statcast. He was worth 6 defensive runs saved in 2024 at 3B.
He posted his worst OPS since his rookie season (.719) but still hit .272 in 2024. The fall in OPS is attributed to a drop in power production. His 16 homers were also the lowest of his career since his rookie season.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature of Arenado’s game is that he doesn’t swing and miss much. In his last 5 full seasons, he’s struck out over 100 times just once (2023, 101K). He sat in the 88th percentile in 2024 in whiff%.
While he’d hit lower in the lineup, he’s the type of hitter the Phillies need to add to the lineup. With his larger contract, he would most likely be fairly cheap to acquire.
Mandatory Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
