Nobody covers a local team like the local media. Every so often a team will play in the national spotlight and be covered by national broadcasters and media. Time after time those national broadcasters and media don’t know what they’re talking about.
Philadelphia Phillies All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm has been at the center of trade rumors this offseason. There have been countless mock trades and rumors, it’s hard to keep track of everything.
One of the latest Bohm trade ideas proposed by ESPN MLB insider Kiley McDaniel shows how unaware the national media can be.
ESPN's idea for the Phillies to trade Alec Bohm to the Royals for a catching prospect is ridiculous
McDaniel flirted with the idea of sending Bohm to the Kansas City Royals. There is some truth behind the Royals’ interest in the Phillies’ third baseman.
“The price for two years of control on Bohm would be a prospect in the 101-250 overall range, like C Carter Jensen, who is now expendable with Blake Mitchell rocketing toward the majors as the catcher of the future,” McDaniel wrote in a piece on ESPN+ highlighting potential trades (subscription required) at this year’s Winter Meetings.
McDaniel suggested that Bohm would warrant a “smallish” prospect haul. The 28-year-old slashed .280/.332/.448 with a .780 OPS and 15 home runs in 2024. He was tied for the third most doubles in the majors and had the eighth most RBI in the National League. He struck out a career-low 86 times, not counting the shortened 2020 season.
It’s crazy to say a player who was an All-Star and an All-MLB Team nominee would require a small return. It’s even crazier to suggest the return being a prospect who has been in the minors since 2021 and hasn’t played above Double-A.
Jensen is a left-handed hitting and right-handed throwing catcher in the Royals’ minor league system. The 21-year-old was the 78th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Jensen does have potential. He slashed .259/.359/.450 with a .809 OPS, 22 doubles, six triples, 18 home runs and 67 RBI across High-A and Double-A in 2024. He’s a player who is patient at the plate to draw walks and also has speed on the base paths. He stole 17 bags on 20 attempts this past season.
Jensen is the Royals No. 5 prospect with a major league ETA of 2026, per MLB Pipeline. He’s a good player with a bright future, but the Phillies would surely expect to receive a better package for an established MLB third baseman with two years of club control left.