There's a good chance Alec Bohm has played his last game with the Philadelphia Phillies. The former top prospect never developed into the star he was meant to be in the big leagues, but he still managed to become a competent third baseman over his seven years in red pinstripes. Fans have often bemoaned his seeming inability to handle pressure, which makes the recent news that the New York Yankees are interested in Bohm quite a surprise.
After the Phillies limped to a wretched 66-96 record in 2017 and earned the third-overall pick in the next summer’s amateur draft, then-Matt Klentak-led club used that pick to select Bohm out of Wichita State University. The native Nebraskan had torched college pitching for a .941 OPS across his three seasons with the Shockers and looked like a fantastic pure hitter who could develop more power.
Bohm ascended the minor league ladder rapidly and made his big league debut in August of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. A terrific .881 OPS in 44 contests led to a second-place finish in Rookie of the Year Award voting, and it looked like the Phillies had a future star on their hands. Unfortunately, Bohm never again came close to those heights, posting a .727 OPS over 3,398 plate appearances in the following six years.
While that may have been a long way from star-level production, Bohm remained a passable, if unspectacular, option at the hot corner until this past season. The Phillies made no secret of their desire to improve at the hot corner, most notably with their failed pursuit of Bo Bichette, but came consistently short on upgrades. Fittingly, the 30-year-old turned in a sub--standard .698 OPS this past season, his last before free agency.
Now the Phillies find themselves at an impasse. They’ve ridden the Bohm train for over half a decade at this point, and there aren’t any slam-dunk options to replace him. Top prospect Aidan Miller could very well be the answer, but a nagging back injury torpedoed most of his 2026 campaign. The Phillies don’t have much prospect capital to dangle on the trade market, while the free agent class offers little in the way of solid options.
The Yankees' desperation to fix third base has them considering Alec Bohm
That last point is why the Yankees are interested in Bohm’s services. The Bronx Bombers have struggled to find a long-term answer at the hot corner, trotting out former stars Josh Donaldson and DJ LeMahieu, as well as youngsters Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza over the past several years. They thought they had the answer when they traded for All-Star Ryan McMahon, but his bat fell flat outside of Coors Field, and his once-excellent glove is now mediocre.
It appears Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is looking to spend to finally fill the void, and Bohm is his best option in a very thin free agent class. However, Phillies fans may have something to say about that, considering the way Bohm appeared to handle the pressure of playing in Philadelphia. The very public spectacle of “I hate this place” put a target on his back as a youngster, and his failure to mature into the star he was meant to be led to endless speculation that Bohm wilts under pressure.
If Philadelphia is big, New York is enormous; it's by far the largest media market in the country. Moreover, Yankees fans are notoriously tough on their team, and many are out for blood after the franchise has gone 17 years without a championship. It’s safe to say Bohm won’t be signing up for an easier environment than the one he’s leaving.
With that said, the Yankees could still use Alec Bohm. He’s a perfectly fine ballplayer who happens to play a position that has been a crack in the Yankees’ armor for years. If he can get them closer to a 28th World Series victory, he’ll become a legend. If not, things could get ugly.
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