The Philadelphia Phillies have thousands of passionate fans and when the chips fell where they did in October, even ownership knew it wasn't going to be enough moving forward. Free agency is open for business and so are the opportunities for teams to swap trade scenarios with the offseason in full swing.
What dictates a player's trade value can be a complicated evaluation. It could be an obvious roster hole at a position, current contract status, or the impact a player brings making them a true fit no matter where they land.
The dream free agent Juan Soto signing hasn't happened yet and, in the Phillies' case, may never happen, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Soto, being a Boras client, may take his sweet time raking in phone calls and meetings until Soto is ready to make his final decision.
The Phillies may be just a pawn on the outside looking in. Where the Phillies can pivot from Soto is making deals from their own roster to shakeup the lineup.
Alec Bohm called out for one massive flaw that could hurt his trade value
Every trade chip has its flaws and Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm may have an issue with his maturity for teams looking to buy, now that he's on the trade block. He was a first time All-Star in 2024, but he may have additional concerns to shake off before he is traded.
A.J. Pierzynski is a former Chicago White Sox catcher and color analyst for FOX. On the Foul Territory podcast with Erik Kratz and Scott Braun, he admitted to hearing during the NLDS matchup against the New York Mets that the Phillies weren't particular fans of Bohm's attitude and lack of maturity at times.
"He needs to improve things, not his performance, let's just say that," Pierzynski said. "There's some people around that organization that aren't huge fans of the way he acts sometimes ... There are some people that have said he needs to basically grow up a little bit."
Who did Pierzynski hear this from, exactly?
"I'm not saying Dave Dombrowski or Sam Fuld or Rob Thomson, none of those people, but it came from people that are around and have a lot of knowledge about the Phillies. He needs to take the step as a maturing adult. If you watch the Phillies games all the time ... you know what I'm talking about."
Pierzynski also suggested that Bohm was actually benched in Game 2 due to his lack of maturity in some of the Phillies' biggest games of the year. The initial thoughts about Bohm's benching were linked to his sore hand, which he had been fighting the last few weeks of the season.
"He needs to take the next step as a maturing adult."@AJPierzynski12 said he's heard from people around the Phillies that Alec Bohm wasn't just benched in the playoffs due to poor performance. pic.twitter.com/kiZGwGmRHD
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) November 12, 2024
If it is indeed true that Bohm was benched because he lost his cool, the Phillies may have a problem trading him away. His lashing out at umpires and visible frustration on the field distracted him and took his focus off his job on the field. The last couple of months appeared as if Bohm was in a fog that he couldn't clear.
Those aren't traits that teams look for when calling to make a deal. In 2024, Bohm had 15 home runs with 97 RBI, a .280 batting average and posted a career high in doubles with 44. During the second half, however, he stumbled to a .251 batting average and a .681 OPS.
A change of scenery may be best for both parties at this point. Bohm was selected third overall in the 2018 MLB Draft with intentions of building off his large frame and adding serious pop to his bat. Maybe teams will take a chance on a kid that can anchor a lineup and with him being only 28 years old, could be turning a corner at the right time for a buying team.