As the trade winds continue to swirl around Alec Bohm and the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason, another enticing trade proposal has surfaced.
As suggested by David Schoenfield of ESPN, he sees Bohm headed to the Seattle Mariners as part of a massive three-way blockbuster with Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo and catcher Harry Ford to the Chicago Cubs, and the Cubs sending former MVP Cody Bellinger to the Phillies and second baseman Nico Hoerner to the Mariners.
Latest Phillies Alec Bohm blockbuster trade proposal brings in former MVP Cody Bellinger
Bellinger has become a movable piece for the Cubs after he exercised his player option to stay with the Cubs for the 2025 season. With Chicago looking to shed some salary, his $27.5 million option has suddenly become an obstacle in their plans going forward.
By adding Bellinger, the Phillies would have a legitimate outfielder who could contribute both offensively and defensively to the club. He had a somewhat down season in 2024 with the Cubs after being hindered by some minor injury woes.
He batted .266 with a .751 OPS, along with 72 runs scored, 18 home runs and 78 RBI in 130 games. Nevertheless, Belllinger’s offensive potential is certainly there after posting a strong 26-homer and 97 RBI campaign just the year prior in 2023. In addition, he has averaged greater than 30 home runs and 90 RBI over a 162-game schedule each season for his career.
Moreover, for those worried about a potential defensive trade-off like what the Nick Castellanos signing has resulted in, Bellinger can hold his own in the field as a former Gold Glove Award winner. He might not be at the elite defensive level he once was, but he still managed to register a solid .990 fielding percentage, along with three outfield assists over 94 games in the outfield for the Cubs last season.
For the Mariners, with the need to revamp their infield with a strict payroll, the additions of Bohm and Hoerner would significantly help address that issue, but at the sacrifice of one of their top pitchers in Castillo. However, with the Mariners’ excess of elite starting pitching, they can afford to move one to make the team better overall heading into 2025. As for the Cubs, they receive a promising prospect in Ford, along with a huge boost to their rotation with Castillo, while saving massive amounts of money at the same time.
With the Phillies picking up the huge Bellinger contract, Schoenfield speculated that one or both of the Cubs and Mariners would likely need to add some sweetener in the deal in the form of a prospect or cash to help offset the difference in salary between Bohm and Bellinger. Nevertheless, if such a trade proposal ends up coming to fruition, the Phillies should be set for their outfield for at least next season, especially if Bellinger manages to return to his prior dominant form.