It's the time of year, now that the Philadelphia Phillies have packed up and gone home for the winter, that we can start to look ahead to next season's roster. Truth be told, we'd all much rather still be talking about playoff baseball.
Instead, we're looking at the exciting world of Phillies contracts for the 2026 season, specifically arbitration. Are we having fun yet?
The Phillies have nine players who fall into the "arbitration eligible" category. As some players, like third baseman Alec Bohm for instance, are heading into their final year of arbitration, their contracts are only getting pricier.
According to MLB Trade Rumors' arbitration projections (which are usually very reliable), the Phillies have a couple of players due to earn over $10 million through the arbitration process this winter. Left-hander Jesús Luzardo is due $10.4 million, and the Phillies will gladly pay that after what he did this year.
Phillies could be on the hook for more than $10 million for Alec Bohm in arbitration
However, with Bohm projected to receive $10.3 million, it might finally be time for the Phillies to find a new option at the hot corner. That would be a nice raise from the $7.7 million he earned in 2025 after the 29-year-old and the Phillies avoided arbitration last winter.
With Bohm entering the final year of team control in 2026, he hasn't panned out like everyone thought he might. After a glacial start to the season, he at least proved again that he can still hit, posting a .287 batting average and an above-average .741 OPS.
However, Bohm's home run power hasn't developed. He hit his apparent ceiling with 20 home runs in 145 games in 2023 before regressing to 15 last year (143 games). He had 11 long balls this year (120 games) with a 50 percent ground ball rate.
It might not be a huge problem except for the fact that manager Rob Thomson loves hitting Bohm cleanup, supposedly "protecting" Bryce Harper in the heart of the Phillies lineup. However, the former third-overall draft pick's bat didn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers this season.
Will Phillies choose to move off Alec Bohm at third base?
With teams typically liking corner infielders to bring a home run threat to the lineup, Bohm doesn't fit that mold. Will the Phillies be willing to fork over $10 million for a third baseman whose best asset is contact skills and who can hit doubles if everything is going well for him?
The top choice for teams searching for a new third baseman will be veteran Alex Bregman, who will be available in free agency after he opted out of his deal with the Boston Red Sox.
Yes, he'll be 32 on Opening Day, but he brings a home run threat and winning experience with two World Series titles. The three-time All-Star can also provide better defense than the Phillies have gotten since Bohm's arrival. With the Phillies looking to make significant changes for next season, pursuing Bregman instead of spending $10 million on Bohm makes too much sense.
Or maybe they just eventually hand the reins over to top prospect Aidan Miller?
After teams reportedly inquired about trading Bohm last offseason, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will surely field more calls over the coming months. Maybe this time the Phillies will finally make the move to ship Bohm out of town and find a new look at the hot corner.