Philadelphia’s season came to an abrupt end when they were trounced by the Dodgers in four games during the NLDS, and now they’re facing down a crucial offseason where a number of key players are headed for free agency. With Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suarez, and J.T. Realmuto all already headed to the open market, it seems likely that big changes are coming to the Phillies one way or another. The club’s pending free agents aren’t the only places where the possibility of change can be seen, however.
Last winter, the Phillies floated the possibility of more substantial change and made regulars like Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos available. Neither ultimately ended up getting traded last year, but perhaps that could change this winter. Given that Castellanos endured a career-worst season and lost playing time down the stretch this year, the question surrounding his trade candidacy seems less to be about whether the Phillies would like to move on from him and more about what team might be interested in adding him and how much of his salary Philadelphia would need to pay down to facilitate a move.
Bohm, on the other hand, is a more intriguing trade candidate. The Phillies apparently set an extremely high asking price in trade talks regarding the infielder last winter, as they reportedly sought either Logan Gilbert or George Kirby from the Mariners and Mason Miller from the Athletics in exchange for his services. That asking price, naturally, was not met, and the teams that passed on Bohm are surely glad they did so based on his performance in 2025. After a 2024 campaign where Bohm posted a 113 wRC+ with solid defense at third base en route to his first career All-Star appearance, he took a clear step backwards this year as he slashed just .287/.331/.409 (105 wRC+) with 11 homers, a 5.8% walk rate, a 16.3% strikeout rate, and less robust defensive metrics.
In other words, he regressed in virtually every aspect of his game. After his middling 2025 campaign and the club’s inability to find a trade partner for Bohm last winter coming off a career year, it goes without saying that the Phillies would need to massively lower their expectations for a return in order to work out a deal involving Bohm. That might be reason enough for the Phillies to pass on the idea of trading him this winter, if they believe a bounce back is coming next season. If the club is risking the loss of Schwarber from the lineup already, any possibility of downgrading offensively at the hot corner would surely be looked at with skepticism.
On the other hand, Bohm is entering his final year before free agency, so it stands to reason that the Phillies might have an easier time accepting a less-than-elite return for the 29-year-old infielder at this point. Perhaps more importantly, Bohm’s departure could clear the way for the Phillies to upgrade the third base position, either immediately or in the long-term. Alex Bregman figures to be one of the winter’s top free agents and would be a big upgrade over Bohm if acquired, and Bo Bichette is another intriguing option even if he’d have to be convinced to move off shortstop. Going after one of those players could be an especially sensible decision if Schwarber ends up signing elsewhere this winter.
Even if the Phillies aren’t interested in adding a big-ticket free agent, it must be remembered that internal help is on the way. Aidan Miller is a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport and got promoted to Triple-A shortly before the end of the regular season. He looked quite comfortable in eight games at the level, going 9-for-27 (.333) with two doubles, a home run, and more walks (9) than strikeouts (7) in 34 trips to the plate. It should be expected that he’ll be ready for the big leagues at some point next year, and the possibility of Bohm blocking him at third base doesn’t seem especially appealing. Utility man Edmundo Sosa remains in the organization as a potential bridge to Miller if he isn’t ready for the majors out of Spring Training, as well.
Of course, much of whether or not it would make sense for the Phillies to deal Bohm will come down to what they can get in return for his services. Fortunately, an offseason with this much uncertainty baked in also comes with plenty of flexibility in terms of what the Phillies can look for in a return package. Suarez’s potential departure will leave a hole in the rotation the club would do well to fill, but there’s also room for improvement in the outfield, where Harrison Bader and Max Kepler are both scheduled to hit free agency, and in a bullpen that figures to lose David Robertson and might also lose Jose Alvarado if the Phillies don’t exercise his club option. Perhaps Bohm can be packaged with prospect capital in order to bring back a starter, or he could be swapped with a similarly-controllable outfield bat if there’s a team with surplus in the outfield in need of infield help.
How do MLBTR readers think the Phillies will handle Bohm headed into this winter? Will he be placed on the trade block in order to clear the way for someone else at third base, be it Miller or a free agent addition? Or will they hold onto him and hope for better results in 2026? Have your say in the poll below:
