The Phillies Won’t Trade Alec Bohm, Nor Will They Keep Him

So far this winter, the Phillies’ moves have largely focused on bolstering their pitching staff, but the team is still looking to “alter the profile of their lineup,” according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. With Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Nick Castellanos all locked in on big deals, Bohm — who is still under club control for another two seasons — is the obvious trade candidate, even if the Phillies don’t have a clear replacement for him at third base.

Will Alec Bohm Be Traded This Winter?

In 606 plate appearances this season, Bohm posted a .280/.332/.448 line with 15 home runs, 97 RBI, a career-high 248 total bases, and a team-leading 44 doubles, earning the first All-Star selection of his career. While the 28-year-old’s 6.6% walk rate was below average across MLB, Bohm’s impressive 14.2% strikeout rate and 17.6% whiff rate ranked him in the 92nd and 86th percentile of all qualified batters, respectively.

Bohm’s strong season extended to his defense, too, which has progressively improved over the last two years. In 2024, he recorded 5 Outs Above Average (OAA) — the third-most on the Phillies after first baseman Harper (8) and outfielder Johan Rojas (8) — and a Fielding Run Value (FRV) of 4.

Unfortunately, Bohm’s bat went ice cold once the Phillies got to the playoffs, leading to him being left off the lineup for Game 2 of the NLDS. Rumors swirled that maturity issues played a role in his benching — former All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski publicly criticizing Bohm’s tendency to throw his bat or helmet when unhappy with results — but the third baseman’s offensive struggles were obvious. In 14 plate appearances during the playoffs, Bohm posted an abysmal .077/.143/.077 line, managing just one hit across four games.

After finishing second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2020, it’s easy to argue that while undeniably talented, Bohm just hasn’t lived up to the hype. Rather than emerge as a superstar, Bohm has often fallen into a supportive cast role in the Phillies’ lineup, limited by his streakiness and inconsistency both on offense and defense. So, with two seasons left of club control, what happens now?

Predicting the third baseman’s future has seemingly become a new favorite pastime for MLB experts this winter, and even after Thomson’s insistence that the team isn’t shopping the 28-year-old, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal remained unconvinced.