With the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings underway and several players starting to sign with teams, the rumor mill has begun working overtime this offseason. For the Phillies, no one’s name has come up more as of late than third baseman Alec Bohm.
Conflicting Reports on the Phillies shopping Bohm
Since the beginning of the offseason, many pundits have speculated that the Phillies are set to trade the 28-year-old third baseman. ESPN’s Jeff Passan has stated he believes the Phillies have Bohm on the trading block. People have speculated a potential trade of Bohm to the New York Yankees, who just acquired former Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried on Tuesday. Some have gone as far as to say that there are people surrounding the Phillies who believe Bohm to be immature, implying that Philadelphia wants to trade the All-Star third baseman.
The New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and Seattle Mariners are among the teams that have been connected to Bohm thus far.
But then Tuesday, while being interviewed on MLB Tonight, Thomson was quoted saying the Phillies are not shopping Alec Bohm.
So which is it? Reports claim Bohm is on the block, while the manager of the Phillies is denying it. The truth may lie in the full quote from Thomson.
“I know the rumors are flying all over the place, we’re not shopping him. But people are approaching us on him, so you got to listen.”
While the Phillies may or may not be actively asking teams about Bohm, teams are actively asking them about him. That means there is indeed a market surrounding Alec Bohm.
Should He Stay, or Should He Go?
Bohm has two remaining years on his rookie contract, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2027. With two more years of control and a low, arbitration-based contract, Bohm is a controllable commodity for the Phillies. Combine that with his low strikeout rate, steady batting average, and ever-improving defense at third, Bohm is a quiet cornerstone in a roster full of highly-paid boom-or-bust sluggers.
But that value is exactly what makes Bohm such an attractive trade target for other teams. The Phillies are especially willing to listen when they have the 26th-best prospect in baseball, Aidan Miller, growing in the Minor Leagues. Miller, a shortstop by trade, is believed to slide over to the hot corner and should be ready for the Big Leagues by 2027.
While the Phillies could ride out the remaining years with Bohm until Miller is ready, it is also possible that the Phillies look to capitalize on Bohm’s value while it is high. If they do, then it would be likely they bring on an aging veteran like free agent Alex Bregman or Nolan Arenado, currently on the trade block himself, to fill in at third base.
Regardless if Bohm is traded, it is unlikely that acquiring Jordan Romano is the last thing the Phillies do this offseason.
