The Philadelphia Phillies have been fortunate thus far in that they have not dealt with too many injuries to position players over a short period of the regular season. One club that has had multiple infielders experience injuries is the New York Yankees.
Veteran DJ LeMahieu has not played yet this season due to a left calf injury. Before the Yankees' series opening contest on May 12 versus the Seattle Mariners, New York manager Aaron Boone mentioned that the infielder will make his season debut during the series against Seattle.
It's good timing for the Yankees, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. currently on the IL recovering from a right oblique strain, and the ankle injury to Oswaldo Cabrera during Monday's game. The third baseman needed to be carted off in an ambulance at home plate after gruesomely fracturing his ankle. Considering LeMahieu's and Chisholm Jr.'s injury histories and that Cabrera will be unavailable for an extensive period, New York could be in the market to trade for a third baseman at some point this season.
Yankees could target Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm to solve third base troubles
After an offseason of being involved in trade rumors, Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm continues to be mentioned in trade speculation. It makes sense considering he will be a free agent following the 2026 season, his last year of arbitration. Philadelphia will begin to have multiple players from its core becoming free agents starting this upcoming offseason. It would not be wise for the organization to retain many of its more experienced players once their respective contracts expire. The team needs to get younger over the next several seasons.
The Yankees are always looking to contend and could be in the market, considering LeMahieu's decline, Chisholm Jr.'s struggles at the plate and injury history, and Cabrera's expected long-term absence this year.
HELLO THERE pic.twitter.com/YwIgWqQ2mx
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 4, 2025
A potential trade between New York and Philadelphia could involve the Phillies acquiring reliever Ian Hamilton and their 12th- and 17th-ranked prospects, according to MLB Pipeline: outfielder Everson Pereira and pitcher Carlos Lagrange in exchange for Bohm.
Philadelphia Phillies
New York YankeesHamilton has had three bad relief appearances in 11 outings this year, including two in May. However, he has been decent in his other eight appearances, allowing no earned runs, three hits, and four walks in those contests. The Phillies could be in the market for another right-hander in their bullpen, considering some of the right-handed relievers who have not done well at times during the first seven weeks of the regular season.
Philadelphia would improve its prospect system by acquiring two of New York's Top 30 prospects. Pereira has a .951 OPS and a .287/.376/.575 line in 24 games in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He leads the team with eight home runs and is third with 19 RBIs.
Lagrange can throw over 100 mph and has appeared mostly as a starter in the minors. During a start in March, he threw a 101 mph fastball and afterward commented he can always throw with that kind of velocity, no matter how high-profile an outing may be, per MLB.com reporter Bryan Hoch.
"I feel really good, but I throw [with] this velo always,” Lagrange said, per Hoch. “I don’t want to describe myself specifically to anybody. I would like for them to watch me pitch and have their own opinion of me.”
The 21-year-old has a 3.55 ERA in five starts for the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades. Lagrange has improved on not walking hitters, with seven so far, compared to 20 in nine games in 2024. His 41 strikeouts are tied for second among pitchers in the South Atlantic League.
Carlos Lagrange blows it by the hitter for his 4th K in a row pic.twitter.com/J7ajJUvPuN
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) April 15, 2025
Bohm's future with the Phillies is uncertain. He could be one of the top position players in free agency following the 2026 season. Philly may not be a candidate to re-sign him, and it may not be in their best interest to do so. His name continues to be mentioned in trade rumors with other teams that may need a third baseman.