Alec Bohm has been the center of trade talks since the offseason began for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Seattle Mariners have been named as the top candidate to land the all-star third baseman. Adam Jude, a staff reporter for the Seattle Times, reports the Phillies have asked for one of their two top pitchers, Logan Gilbert or George Kirby. Jude also reports that Seattle prefers to keep the league’s best starting rotation intact for next season and “scoffed” at the Phillies’ offer.
Phillies Target: Logan Gilbert
Logan Gilbert, 27, is a right-handed pitcher out of Florida. Gilbert, much like the rest of Seattle’s starting rotation, had a phenomenal 2024 season. He finished with a 3.23 ERA, 220 strikeouts, and an astonishing 0.89 WHIP in 208.2 innings pitched. His 27.4% k% and 4.6% bb% were the highest and lowest of his career, respectively.
The Phillies will need to offer much more than Alec Bohm if they want to pry Logan Gilbert out of Seattle, but it can be done. They will have to offer one of Aidan Miller or Justin Crawford and probably more.
Phillies Target: George Kirby
George Kirby is a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher from New York. Kirby was another big contributor to Seattle’s top-rated 2024 starting rotation. He finished the season with a 3.53 ERA, 179 strikeouts, and a top-10 1.07 WHIP. Like Gilbert, his k% (27.4%) and bb% (4.6%) were the highest and lowest of his four-year career, respectively.
I don’t think Seattle will do anything close to this trade. The cost for pitching is at an all-time high and executives view Bohm as “good, not great” due to his perceived “fall off” after the all-star break. If the Phillies are starting at that asking price for Bohm, the likelihood of him getting traded is slim to none. Logan Gilbert and George Kirby were their best pitchers this season, and it’s tough to trade either of them away as a contending team.
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