Aug 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) celebrates after scoring against the Boston Red Sox in the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
What would the Phillies do at third base if they trade Alec Bohm? Well, one "rival evaluator" has an interesting theory.
The unnamed executive shared his prediction with ESPN's Buster Olney:
The most interesting prediction heard from a rival evaluator: The Phillies land Alex Bregman. His swing translates in that park, strong defense, lots of postseason scar tissue.
This, of course, comes on the heels of Olney's ESPN colleague Jeff Passan writing Tuesday morning that Bohm "finds himself on the trade block." Passan isn't just someone who throws stuff against the wall, so his words carry quite a bit of weight.
Just because the Phillies are considering trading Bohm doesn't mean that will actually happen. He has two remaining years of arbitration eligibility, and did drive in 97 runs in consecutive seasons. But the idea of trading Bohm for another area of need — such as outfielder or late-inning reliever — makes some sense if you have a plan for how to fill the void that deal would create at third base.
Bregman would obviously be the most ambitious way to replace Bohm at third base. Over on Bleacher Report, I predicted that Bregman will sign a five-year/$130 million deal in free agency with a $26 million club option for a sixth season. That prediction is actually on the more conservative side. MLB Trade Rumors projected a seven-year/$182 million deal for the two-time All-Star.
There's a few reasons to potentially be skeptical of a Bregman signing. The first is that the Phillies already have an MLB-high $222 million in payroll commitments for 2025, and Bregman would be another massive deal on top of that. Maybe the Phillies will do that, but it's unclear if they plan to make a signing of that magnitude this winter. The second reason to be skeptical is that because Bregman is going to reject the qualifying offer that the Houston Astros gave to him, the Phillies would have to surrender their second and fifth-round picks in the 2025 MLB Draft to sign him. The third and perhaps biggest reason is that Astros' general manager Dana Brown seemed pretty confident late in the year that a deal would eventually be reached to keep the franchise icon in Houston.
"I think it'll work out," Brown said. "When you get down to it, I think he wants to stay here. I think we want him to stay here. And it's just a matter of coming up with some type of an agreement."
With all that said, it would be hard to argue with the on-field fit of Bregman in 2025 with the Phillies. He homered 26 times, drove in 75 runs and posted a .768 OPS in his contract year, while also winning the first Gold Glove of his career at the hot corner. Bregman will turn 31 in March, so his addition would add to an aging core. But it may help the Phillies to assure they get a championship out of Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler's respective peaks.
One thing is for sure — nobody seems to think the Phillies are going to run it back in 2025.
If The Phillies Trade Alec Bohm, What Options Do They Have At Third Base?https://t.co/RZL24Vq3pR
