Evaluating 3 Phillies Rumored in MLB Trade Market: Alec Bohm
The trade rumors started swirling almost immediately after the MLB offseason began. Bob Nightengale of USA Today listed Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, and Brandon Marsh as potential candidates from the Philadelphia Phillies who could be on the move this winter.
“Simply, scouts say, they’re (the Phillies are) just too easy to pitch to come crunchtime with their big swingers and contact-challenged hitters. If someone needs a slugger like Nick Castellanos, or outfield help in Brandon Marsh, or third baseman Alec Bohm, the Phillies are listening.” -Bob Nightengale
What kind of trade value do the three players have? How should other MLB teams view them? How do Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies evaluate them internally?
- Evaluating 3 Phillies Rumored in MLB Trade Market: Nick Castellanos
- Evaluating 3 Phillies Rumored in MLB Trade Market: Brandon Marsh
Alec Bohm On The Trade Block?
The Phillies might only deal Castellanos in a financially-driven trade as part of a larger series of moves to land one of the key sluggers of the MLB offseason.
While Marsh is a solid major leaguer, he doesn’t impact the game enough to be the driving force of an offseason splash that dominates the headlines.
Alec Bohm, on the other hand, sparks maybe the most intriguing Phillies offseason conversation. The former third-overall draft pick owns a skill set particularly needed in the lineup. His questionable performance in the NLDS, however, fuels the logic of these trade rumors.
“Maybe you take one of your cheaper regulars – the Bohm, Marsh, (Bryson) Stott bucket I guess you could say– and pair them with one of your better prospects and try to go get a better young kind of talent that’s been in the big leagues already that has proven to be a big league contributor for another team that fits in your lineup better.” –Matt Gelb on 97.5 The Fanatic
A Much-Needed Offensive Approach
The chase rate issue has run rampant in conversations about two consecutive disappointing finishes.
The Phillies finished 25th in the majors in 2024 chasing 30.3% of pitches their hitters saw outside the unofficial strike zone according to Baseball Savant.
However, Dave Dombrowski presented a different angle on the issue of plate discipline in his end-of-season press conference.
“I really would like us to use the whole field a little bit more at times. We become a pull-oriented club at times too much for me. In the postseason when you look at it, a lot of our hits didn’t come the opposite way. That’s something we’ve already talked about ourselves. Now the hitters have to buy into that, too.” -Dave Dombrowski
Rob Thomson spoke continually throughout the regular season about how his hitters can maximize their skill sets when they hit to all fields.
“If you do that, you have a chance to cover all pitches in any zone, and you’re not going to be susceptible to the offspeed away especially. I think, again, it’ll cut down on chase. You’ll have a better chance to get base hits. These guys are so strong, our power guys, they can hit the ball out of any part of the ballpark. They just have to be able to stay on the ball.” -Rob Thomson
The third-year Phillies manager compliment Bohm consistently in 2024 for his ability to hit to all fields.
The embattled third baseman’s swing covers the entire plate. His approach to hitting the ball the opposite contributed to his respectable .280 batting average. It supplemented his gap power, more apparent to the left field side, that helped him finish tied for fourth in the majors with 44 doubles.
Bohm’s 14.2% strikeout rate also ranked in the league’s 92nd percentile, and his 17.6% whiff rate fell just below in the 86th percentile.
Can Dombrowski justify trading arguably his best contact hitter immediately after emphasizing a skill set that Alec Bohm brings to the lineup?
The Case to Trade Alec Bohm
Focus on his swing, the fit in the lineup, and his defensive improvement if you want Alec Bohm to play for the Phillies in 2025. Fans interested in his trade market will conversely point to Bohm’s performance in the the final weeks of the 2024 season as rationale to move him.
Fair evaluations must include acknowledgement of a hand injury that affected him to an unknown extent.
When he returned from the injury that kept him out from August 29 until September 15, he finished the season on a rough 8-47 stretch. His season batting average dropped 10 points, and his season OPS dropped 23.
Thomson removed him from the cleanup spot that Bohm had held for most of the regular season. He later pulled Bohm from the starting lineup in Game 2 of the NLDS after the embattled third baseman let his frustration show during an 0-4 performance in a Game 1 loss the previous day.
A manager who heavily prioritizes decisions to show confidence in his players had just sat a key offensive contributor. Why? Thomson cited Edmundo Sosa’s energy as a replacement. What he didn’t say about Bohm might’ve revealed more than what he did say about Sosa.
Bohm again showed his lack of confidence in Game 4 with mental fielding mishaps that hurt a tight Phillies team.
Related: Philadelphia Phillies Offseason Stay Or Go: J.T. Realmuto
He finished his fifth MLB season at age 28 with questionable temperament that should’ve been left in his past.
An excellent first half earned him his first MLB All-Star appearance. The body of work drove up his trade value much higher than the market for Castellanos or Marsh, and an additional two years under club control and relatively affordable cost would also entice a potential trade partner.
Aidan Miller ranks at the top of the organization’s prospect lists. He isn’t fully committed to one position yet, and he’s unlikely to make his MLB debut in 2025. However, his rise to the big leagues could impact the long-term future of the infield at Citizens Bank Park.
Moving Bohm because of long-term confidence in Miller would require a short-term option at third base, however, likely at a much lower price than free agent stud Alex Bregman.
Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies have one of their most impactful offseason evaluations in Bohm. Will they show confidence in Aidan Miller as a top prospect rising through the system? Will they pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade with Alec Bohm as the key centerpiece? The answer could define their offseason.
