The term “open-minded” has been used by Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski this offseason. He’s said the term more than once. The front office would like to change things up after back-to-back postseason failures.

The idea of trading Alec Bohm has been put out there. It’s an understandable one. It certainly falls into the category of an open-minded move.

Coming off an All-Star season, Bohm started 2024 hot at the plate, cooled off down the stretch, and was benched for a game in the NLDS. At times of failure, Bohm showed his frustration on the field. Sometimes, it may have been too much.

The 28-year-old hit .280/.332/.448 last season. His .779 OPS was a career-high in a full season. So were his 44 doubles.

It was a tale of two halves for Bohm, though. Prior to the All-Star break, he was 33% better than the league-average hitter across 402 plate appearances. Post All-Star break, he was 9% worse than league-average in 204 plate appearances. 33 of the third baseman’s doubles came in the first half of the year.

At 28, Bohm is under club control for two more seasons. An All-Star in his late 20s with two years left before free agency is an attractive player. With offense trending downward across the sport, a bat like Bohm’s could improve a number of lineups. It’s not hard to see why clubs would, and are, interested in acquiring him.

The pros of moving Bohm are that his stock is the highest it’s ever been. The Phillies could receive a serious package by sending him to another club. 

As the front office looks to upgrade the outfield, trading Bohm to a team with a surplus of outfielders would make sense. Maybe they dangle him in trade talks to seriously upgrade the bullpen or for another starting pitcher. There’s no such thing as too much pitching.

But there’s a problem when it comes to trading Bohm. Moving him creates a hole at third base. And it’s a hole that can’t be filled internally.

Aidan Miller, the club’s top infield prospect, isn’t ready for the majors. He probably won’t be for another year, or two. Players like Edmundo Sosa, Kody Clemens, and Weston Wilson don’t make sense, either. Bohm is a better, full-time option than all of them.

So it’s safe to say if Bohm is traded, his replacement isn’t in the Phillies organization right now.

Given that the Phillies wouldn’t be trading Bohm for another third baseman – that’s a move that would make no sense – the front office would need to acquire a player to man the hot corner in a different trade or via free agency.

Trading Bohm to then trade for another third baseman seems like too many moving parts. Trading Bohm to then sign a free agent makes more sense. But not enough.

The top two infielders currently available on the open market are Alex Bregman and Willy Adames. Bregman is a third baseman. Adames has played shortstop for most of his career. But at some point, he’ll likely have to move off that position.

There are other infielders available. But to seriously compete, adding the bats of Bregman or Adames makes the most sense in a move to replace Bohm.

The Phillies’ payroll for next year is going to be the highest it’s ever been. So to add another nine-figure contract to the books – both Bregman and Adames will sign for more than $100 million – may not make a ton of sense. It would allow for less roster flexibility moving forward, too. Long-term, high-dollar contracts are never easy to get out of if needed.

Signing Bregman or Adames to replace Bohm could work. However, in the grand scheme of things, it may not make the Phillies that much better. Over the entire 2024 season, Bohm, Bregman, and Adames were all at the same level of production. Bohm posted a 117 OPS+. Bregman and Adames both had a 118 OPS+.

Then, there’s the reason Bohm is attractive to other teams which should make him attractive to his own. He’s an All-Star at 28 years old with two years left before hitting free agency.

Yes, it was a bad finish to 2024. But Bohm is in his prime. There’s reason to believe the Phillies could get him to be more consistent, and maybe even more productive, in 2025 and 2026.

Trading Bohm would be understandable. It’s a move that could be counterproductive, though. By doing so, the Phillies would fill one hole, and create another. Their best option at third base next year might just be Bohm.

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