4 Phillies players who should be on the trade block with Alec Bohm
Dave Dombrowski should look to move these players via trade this offseason.
It is officially the Major League Baseball offseason. As is customary with this time of year, rumors have surfaced beginning this month regarding which teams could be in on the top free agents and which players could be traded.
After underachieving in 2024, the Philadelphia Phillies will have a different approach to improving their roster compared to a year ago. Their superstars are locked in for multiple years, so they will aim to improve their depth.
Third baseman Alec Bohm has appeared in trade speculation. The infielder enjoyed a career year despite his struggles in September and during the NLDS. He is estimated to receive $8.1 million via arbitration in 2025, according to Spotrac.
Bohm will be a free agent following the 2026 season and will become a free agent as he is a client of mega agent Scott Boras. The famous sports agent is known for getting what he deems the players he represents are worth during the free agency process. The Phillies may not be interested in signing Bohm to a long-term deal, especially considering the players they have agreed to big contracts with in recent seasons.
Bohm is only one player Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Preston Mattingly may look to move this winter. The front office took a risk last offseason by not making substantial changes to the club's outfield or bullpen.
The outfield struggled for consistent offensive production beginning soon after the start of the regular season. Nick Castellanos was the only outfielder manager Rob Thomson felt comfortable playing full-time. Austin Hays was supposed to represent an upgrade for the club at the position following his acquisition at July's trade deadline. However, he missed time with a hamstring ailment in August and in September with a kidney infection.
The front office and Thomson were okay with having a closer-by-committee approach in their bullpen as they did not have a reliever on the roster with previous experience primarily closing games. However, that did not always work out, and Dombrowski acquired a proven closer in Carlos Estévez at the deadline. The right-hander is a free agent and is not expected to sign a deal with Philadelphia.
4 Phillies players who should be on the trade block with Alec Bohm
As the organization aims to improve its roster over the next couple of months, which players may not be with the Phillies for the opening of the 2025 regular season? There are a few who had a subpar year or struggled and Dombrowski, who has a reputation for his aggressiveness in making roster changes, may look to move.
Here are four Phillies players who should be on the trade block along with Bohm.
Taijuan Walker
Taijuan Walker had a terrible season, with multiple IL stints amid his lack of production. The 32-year-old finished the year with a 7.10 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP, both career-highs. Thomson moved him out of the starting rotation to the bullpen following his Aug. 28 start against the Houston Astros.
Walker made one more start on Sept. 19 versus the Mets in which he surrendered a season-high eight earned runs and four home runs in only 3 1/3 innings. He did not appear with the Phillies in the playoffs for the second straight season.
Dombrowski said previously in October that Walker will need to compete in spring training to earn the fifth spot in the Phillies' rotation. That is if he remains on their roster by mid-February. Philadelphia tried to acquire Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crotchet at the trade deadline, but the front office did not want to part with their top pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, in a deal. Philly continues to be included in trade rumors this offseason for the 25-year-old lefty.
The issue with trading Walker is his contract. He is due $18 million in 2025 and 2026. Philadelphia may need to absorb some of that money if they decide to include him in a deal. The front office may look to free agency to address the backend of their rotation.
Painter, who returned from Tommy John surgery to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, could be a future option in the rotation. The talented youngster earned the AFL Pitcher of the Year Award. However, the fan base should not count on him to open the 2025 regular season with Philadelphia.
If Thomson did not have enough confidence in Walker to use him out of the bullpen during the 2023 playoffs, the pitcher did not give the manager any reason to consider using him during the NLDS with his struggles this year. Dombrowski should explore trading the Shreveport, Louisiana, native this winter.
José Alvarado
Hard-throwing left-hander José Alvarado started 2024 well and looked like the club's best option to close games regularly. He was coming off of a year in which he posted a career-low 1.74 ERA in 42 contests. However, he became more erratic beginning in July of this season.
Thomson continued to use Alvarado longer than he should have in high-leverage situations while the left-hander worked through his struggles. He finished July with an awful 8.31 ERA and posted an ERA of 4.66 in August.
Following his blown save versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 19, Alvarado did not receive another save opportunity for the rest of the season. The acquisition of Estévez and his play contributed to his lack of closing opportunities.
Alvárado has one more year under contract for $9 million before his club option of the same amount is due in 2026. He will likely remain on the roster to start the 2025 season, and he may earn a setup role. However, as is normal with many relievers, he has demonstrated his tendency to be inconsistent during his four years with Philadelphia.
The Phillies could be active in free agency to sign a new closer if Estévez does not return. The continued emergence of Orion Kerkering also puts pressure on Alvárado for a role in late innings with the club.
Could the Phillies move Alvárado following his inconsistent season? The team may look to makeover its bullpen following its disastrous performance in the postseason versus the Mets. He may not be an obvious candidate to be moved this winter, but Philly should be open to it. If he struggles during the 2025 season, they may look to move him by the summer's trade deadline. They should look to trade him rather than not picking up his club option next offseason.
Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh appeared to be on his way to being considered for a full-time outfielder following his performance in June. He posted a line of .298/.411/.426 in 15 appearances during the month. Following the release of utility player Whit Merrifield and the trade of Cristian Pache, the Phillies found themselves a bit short-handed with available outfielders.
However, Marsh struggled mightily in July with more playing time. He totaled a meager .182/.236/.409 line in 21 games. As the year progressed, he looked more suitable to not be played every day as he cannot be relied upon for consistent production full-time.
Marsh's high strikeout number represents a common problem in the lineup of too many players who chase pitches. The outfielder finished with 154 strikeouts, second on the team. His batting average from July 1 until the conclusion of the regular season was a pedestrian .229.
Dombrowski may look to see what Marsh's trade value is this winter if he wants to change the roster. It is understandable for fans to have doubts about whether the club is good enough to win a championship following their underwhelming performance in the postseason.
Marsh may be used in a multi-player trade for an upgrade at another position, such as another starting pitcher. If top prospect Justin Crawford progresses further next year, he could warrant promotion to the majors mid-season.
Hays' presence also creates competition for the outfield and may make Marsh more expendable. It remains to be seen if the Phillies want to keep the 29-year-old outfielder following his acquisition from the Baltimore Orioles in July and if they're interested in paying him an estimated $6.4 million salary in arbitration for 2025.
It is anticipated the Phillies' outfield group may look different following their inconsistencies in 2024. The front office took a risk with the group of outfielders on their roster this year, and the results did not pay off. Marsh could be with another organization at the beginning of next season.
Nick Castellanos
Will Castellanos be moved this offseason? While he represents the Phillies' lone outfielder whom Thomson trusted to put in the lineup every day, the club also pays him to play at that level. He is due $20 million in each of the next two years.
The 32-year-old right fielder has exhibited his tendency to chase balls out of the zone. His hitting approach represents what the Phillies lineup has an abundance of and needs less of. In terms of changing the roster via trades, Dombrowski said that Castellanos and Marsh will play roles with the club next season. However, that could change if a trade opportunity presents itself.
Castellanos posted a line of .254/.311/.431, along with a .742 OPS in 162 regular season games. His batting average was the lowest in his three years with Philly. After posting a career-high 185 strikeouts in 2023, his total this year was 139, which is a similar number to the 130 he posted with the Phillies in 2022.
Thomson relied on Castellanos heavily after the Hialeah, Florida native played 157 games in 2023 and in every regular season contest this year. Despite his durability, the outfielder is the subject of trade rumors for the second straight offseason.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand lists Castellanos as one of his players who may be elsewhere next season, noting that some teams in need of a power hitter may be more willing to acquire him now that there are only two years and $40 million remaining on his five-year, $100 million contract.
Philadelphia is more willing to make changes to its roster this offseason, unlike last year. Dombrowski said in October that the Phillies, "need to be open-minded to exploring what’s out there for us.”
"Sometimes you trade good players for good players," Dombrowski added.
Philly trading Castellanos would be an example of that. The club would be trading a core player who was part of a memorable 2022 team that unexpectedly came within two wins of winning a World Series. Trading him may be necessary for the team to improve at this point.
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