It's not often that you see large market teams attempt to deal arbitration-eligible players coming off an All-Star season, but that's exactly what the Philadelphia Phillies are looking to do this winter as the relationship between Alec Bohm and the team has reportedly soured in recent months. It's also no secret that the Phillies have Bohm's rumored replacement only two stops away in Reading to start next year.
That brings us to the likelihood that the Phillies actually want to trade Bohm this offseason. All signs point to this being a primary motivation for the Phillies this offseason. While a handful of Bohm's teammates are also rumored to be on the trading block this winter, Bohm is the only one who is running out of places to play on the roster.
Knowing that they could soon be stuck between a rock and a hard place with Bohm's escalating contract, and with first base, third base and designated hitter likely to contain roadblocks as soon as next season, the Phillies are hoping to cash in their chips this offseason and attempt to net a decent return in a deal for the moody slugger.
Trading Bohm this offseason certainly has some layers attached to it. Do the Phillies have players on the current 40-man roster to slide over to third base if Bohm is shipped out of town? Not only that, but would clearing a roster spot for Aiden Miller's arrival be putting the cart ahead of the horse?
Those are both valid questions, but the return coming back to the Phillies in exchange for Bohm remains the biggest mystery. With some clear deficits on the roster heading into 2025, the Phillies have an opportunity to address a few key areas of need via trade. Let's take a look at a few trades the Phillies could make that could make the team better next season.
3 players the Phillies should target in an Alec Bohm trade this offseason
Devin Williams, MIL
The Milwaukee Brewers are likely to make another major deal this offseason involving a key arm, and the Phillies' needs seem to match up with the NL Central rivals as a compelling trade partner. Only a year removed from trading Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, the Brew Crew are apparently willing to trade two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams after declining a club option for next season, and it's likely this move is an attempt to add relatively affordable offense to replace free agent shortstop Willy Adames via trade should he depart this winter.
A previous story from the Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer floated the idea of the Phillies dealing Bryson Stott to the Brewers in a one-for-one deal for Williams. But what if the Phillies said no on Stott and offered Bohm instead? The Brewers would acquire a middle-of-the-order bat to pair with old friend Rhys Hoskins, while the Phillies would add a bonafide closer to replace Carlos Estévez, who is likely to sign elsewhere this offseason. On paper, it seems to make sense.
Williams is coming off an injury-plagued season that limited his availability for much of the season, yet the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year was still able to save 14 games in 22 appearances. Overall, Williams has 68 career saves in 241 games, to go along with 375 strikeouts and a 1.83 ERA in 235 2/3 innings pitched.
While those numbers are very impressive, would trading Bohm or Stott for Williams really make sense when the free agent market has a number of closers available this winter?
Logan Gilbert, SEA
The Seattle Mariners are one of the latest teams reported to have interest in Bohm. While the Brewers could offer the Phillies a closer, the Mariners have a wealth of top-tier starting pitching and an anemic offense heading into 2025.
With the Phillies rumored to be active on the trade market for starting pitching this offseason, it would seem that each team has something the other team wants. Is there a deal between the ball clubs that would make sense?
As previously mentioned, the Mariners have a stacked rotation featuring George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo. What the Mariners don't have is a reliable everyday third baseman. A recent article by Seattle area radio host and writer Mike Salk floated Gilbert's name as the most realistic possibility to be traded this winter. At age 27, with three years of arbitration remaining, a Gilbert for Bohm deal seems to match up.
Gilbert is coming off a season in which his win total regressed a bit, going 9-12 with a 3.23 ERA, yet his 33 starts, 208 2/3 innings pitched and 0.887 WHIP were all tops in MLB this past season. It's clear Gilbert is a workhorse, and only two seasons removed from back-to-back 13-win seasons, a trade of Bohm and a mid-level prospect could possibly get a deal done if the Mariners don't believe they can extend the talented right-hander before he hits free agency following the 2027 season.
Garrett Crochet, CHW
The Chicago White Sox are coming off the worst season in the modern era after posting a dismal record of 41-121 in 2024. After dealing ace Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres last winter, it was clear that the White Sox were likely taking a step back from a competitive standpoint, but few could have predicted just how bad this team would ultimately be.
Now that the book is closed on last season, the White Sox will attempt to jumpstart the rebuilding process this offseason by dealing talented 25-year-old left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet.
At this point, it's not a matter of if Crochet gets traded this offseason, it's a matter of when and for what type of return. White Sox general manager Chris Getz recently detailed the team's requirements in exchange for the southpaw, stating that the team is focused on a position player return and some young bats that could improve an offense that ranked dead last in MLB for production during the 2024 season.
Like the previous trade proposal with the Mariners, the Phillies and White Sox look like ideal trade partners this winter.
At age 25 and with two years of arbitration remaining, the cost for Crochet will be considerable. With the White Sox clear in their desire to add MLB-ready offense, the Phillies have plenty of bats rumored to be available this offseason. If the Phillies want to acquire Crochet, it will certainly take more than Bohm to get a deal done, with the Phillies likely to have to choose who is untouchable amongst the group of Justin Crawford, Starlyn Caba and Eduardo Tait, with plenty of other names likely up for discussion.
Coming off a breakout season that included being selected to the AL All-Star team, Crochet was 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts with 209 strikeouts in 146 innings. Those numbers would certainly be better if Crochet played on a team that's capable of providing run support, and a move into the second spot in the Phillies rotation would certainly be an upgrade in that department.
With the White Sox setting a deadline for a deal to get done by the end of the MLB Winter Meetings in December, the Phillies have all the pieces to acquire Crochet next month. But are they willing to meet the cost?