Major League Baseball's offseason is in full swing. Teams have decided which arbitration-eligible players have been tendered contracts, trade rumors have been swirling, and there are some big-name free agents on the market just waiting to be signed.
The Philadelphia Phillies have been no strangers to becoming involved in some of these offseason rumors. One piece of the current roster that has been a centerpiece of potential trade talks has been third baseman Alec Bohm.
Should the Phillies decide to deal their 2018 first-round draft pick, the options to replace him are somewhat limited. The big name that the club has been connected to is Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros. His asking price, however, is said to be exorbitant for a player who is likely entering a decline in production.
Willy Adames surfaces as another option for Phillies to replace Alec Bohm at third base
If Bohm is dealt and Bregman is too expensive, it is rumored that the Phillies could get creative and sign Willy Adames.
Adames, most recently the shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers, is an intriguing name who was first tied to the Phillies by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale notes that the organization could sign the shortstop and move him to third base if Bohm ends up getting moved.
Moving Adames to third base is an interesting option. He has never played the position in the major leagues. His defensive production at shortstop last year did decline from the previous two seasons, sporting -16 defensive runs saved in 2024 compared to nine and eight defensive runs saved in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Perhaps the 29-year-old is ready to move from the more demanding position in the middle of the infield.
From an offensive standpoint, Adames could be a slight upgrade. While Bohm had a productive 2024 season, the two players' comparisons since 2020 favor the former Brewer. The Phillies third baseman has more hits, a higher batting average and a slightly higher on-base percentage in that span.
Adames's 16.5 bWAR trumps Bohm's 3.8 bWAR over that timeframe. He has also stolen more bases (41) than Bohm (16), and the power numbers are fairly uneven. The Dominican player hit more than double the home runs and has a higher slugging percentage and a higher OPS than the current Phillies third baseman.
Would Adames be an upgrade? He may be in certain areas, but the areas in which the Phillies need to improve do not necessarily favor paying him significantly more money than their current player. The issue is that Bohm likely has the highest trade value of anyone on the Phillies' roster, so while the move may be lateral at the hot corner, trading Bohm could improve the roster elsewhere.
According to Spotrac, Adames is valued at about $25 million per season. The CAA client is valuable but would a projected contract of around six years and $150 million be worth it to better the 2025 roster? The answer is unclear, but the idea of shaking up the roster makes this move an intriguing possibility.