Apr 11, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third base Alec Bohm (28) celebrates his home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports Eric Hartline
The Phillies had an astronomical opening asking price in trade talks with the Seattle Mariners for third baseman Alec Bohm, per a new report.
If not the Phillies, Seattle has perhaps the best starting rotation in baseball. They are desperate for offense, and more likely to get it via trade than free agency given that T-Mobile Park has been the least hitter-friendly stadium in baseball over the last three years, per MLB Park Factors. And so, Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies shot high in opening conversations with the Mariners regarding Bohm, according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times:
"In initial trade talks between the two clubs, the Phillies asked for one of the Mariners’ top pitchers — Logan Gilbert or George Kirby — in exchange for Bohm, a source with knowledge of the discussions said."
Jerry DiPoto — the president of baseball operations for the Mariners — pushed back against the idea of trading from the starting rotation during his year-end press conference in late September.
"We could shoot ourselves in the foot by trying to get too crafty in what we do,” Dipoto said. “Our pitching is how we're built. I love our rotation."
However, there's a real chance that the Mariners will have to trade from their starting rotation to get an impact bat. Whether Bohm is worth doing that for or not might be another discussion. And if Seattle does trade from their starting rotation, it feels pretty unlikely that Gilbert or Kirby would be the one they choose to deal.
10 strikeouts through 6 shutout innings tonight for Logan Gilbert 👏
(via @PitchingNinja) pic.twitter.com/uEe7yckDdk
Gilbert, 27, was an All-Star for the first time this past season. He led all of baseball in both innings pitched (208 2/3) and WHIP (0.887). He's eligible for arbitration for the first time this season, and can't become a free agent until after the 2027 campaign.
Meanwhile, Kirby put together another strong season this past year for the M's after an All-Star season in 2023. In 2024, Kirby posted a 3.53 ERA and MLB-best 7.78 strikeout-to-walk-ratio. Kirby is 26, and won't become a free agent until after the 2028 season.
These are the type of pitchers the Mariners could reasonably ask for Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller in return for. Whether the Phillies would be willing to part with either of those two top prospects in such a scenario is unclear. But it wouldn't be an outlandish request.
George Kirby, Wicked 88mph Slider. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/sMzLt8lQ6n
Bohm has driven in 97 runs in consecutive seasons, but plenty of questions remain about just how high his ceiling is offensively, whether he'll remain at third base for the bulk of his career and if he's able to control his emotions when things inevitably don't go his way all 162 games of the season. He's also closer to free agency than either Gilbert or Kirby, as he can reach the open market after 2026.
ESPN's David Schoenfield suggested a Bohm for Luis Castillo trade earlier this week, which even seemed like a steep price for a three-time All-Star pitcher to us. But at least in that case, Castillo is 31 and is owed $72.45 million over the next three seasons. If the Mariners traded Castillo for Bohm, they'd be not only acquiring their starting third baseman, but opening up some financial flexibility to keep spending to improve an offense that was 21st in runs scored last season.
There's nothing wrong with aiming high to open conversations, and it's pretty unlikely the Phillies expected the Mariners to agree to trade them Gilbert or Kirby for Bohm. But that's pretty far off from a trade that could realistically be completed. If Bohm was the type of piece capable of getting the Mariners to consider trading Gilbert or Kirby, the Phillies probably wouldn't be shopping him. And so, the asking price on the All-Star third baseman will have to come down for the Phillies to complete a trade involving Bohm, whether it's with the Mariners or someone else.
From @TimKellySports: 4 Phillies Storylines That Could Have Resolutions During MLB Winter Meetingshttps://t.co/nzxefuUHUb
