Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies clearly see Alec Bohm as expendable.

Yet, they apparently also view him as invaluable—or are at least trying to convince potential trade partners that they do.

Bohm has been one of the most talked about players on the trade market during the 2024 MLB offseason, indicating Philly's desire to do a deal. There's a reason nothing has to come together yet, though, and that reason is the Phillies' reported asking price.

The Athletics recently inquired about Bohm, but then "ended the conversation" when the Phillies asked for All-Star reliever Mason Miller, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Miller, for those unfamiliar, just completed his first full MLB season with a 2.49 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and a whopping 104 strikeouts in 65 innings.

Miller's star is shining about as bright as any relief pitcher's. That the Phillies think they could get him for Bohm shows an overinflated sense of the latter's worth.

And it's not the first time Philly has torpedoed trade talks with an outlandish request.

Earlier this month, the third base-needy Seattle Mariners came calling about Bohm. Philadelphia effectively chased them off when it "asked for one of the Mariners' top pitchers—Logan Gilbert or George Kirby," per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.

Gilbert, for context, just finished sixth in Cy Young voting after leading the Majors in innings pitched (208.2) and WHIP (0.89) while posting the second-best ERA of his career (3.23). Kirby, who finished eighth in 2023 Cy Young voting, has a 3.44 ERA with 8.36 strikeouts per walk over the past two seasons.

These two figure to anchor Seattle's rotation for the foreseeable future. Philadelphia had to know Bohm wouldn't be enough to get either one.

Bohm technically broke out this past season and secured his first All-Star trip. However, all of the heavy lifting behind that breakout occurred during the campaign's first half. In the second half, he was a .251 hitter with four homers and 27 RBI in 49 games. He sank even further in the playoffs, going 1-for-13 and getting benched for Game 2 of the NLDS.

Perhaps if this was the 2024 trade deadline and Bohm's value was peaking, these requests wouldn't feel so insulting. But the second half happened. The playoff failures played out in front of the entire baseball world. Presumably, those are the reasons why the Phillies seem so eager to find a trade.

What they stubbornly refuse to accept, though, is that this decline also caused a decline in his trade value. He isn't some blue-chip option clubs are willing to work over premium assets to require. He's a change-of-scenery candidate, the kind of player a front office hopes would be motivated by and more clear-headed after a trade.

Teams don't pay top dollar to hope for a bounce-back. They want the struggles baked into the price, so if a player does shake out of the slump and get back on track, then they'll walk away with positive value from the exchange.

Bohm is (or at least can be) a good player, but he's not a great one. The Phillies won't find a deal until they start treating him as such.

That doesn't mean they have to slap a clearance sticker on him and rush out to find the first available trade. Potential suitors could get more desperate as other options at third base (like free agent Alex Bregman or trade candidate Nolan Arenado) or first base (Pete Alonso, Christian Walker and Paul Goldschmidt are all unsigned) start coming off the board.

Patience could be a good thing for Philadelphia, though no amount of waiting will suddenly make Bohm worth what the franchise has been requesting. If the Phillies are serious about finding a trade—and it might be hard to get the toothpaste back in the tube at this point—then they need to get serious about what they're asking for in return.

The Philadelphia Phillies "touched base" with Teoscar Hernández after he hit free agency following his World Series win with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to The Athletic's Matt Gelb.

According to Gelb, the expectation around MLB is that Hernández will instead re-sign with the Dodgers.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has previously indicated that one of the Phillies' offseason priorities is to find a new left or center fielder in free agency (h/t MLB.com's Todd Zolecki).

Hernández represents one of the top outfielders hitting free agency this winter outside of the New York Mets' Juan Soto. The Toronto Blue Jays are interested in signing him, general manager Ross Atkins confirmed on Monday.

The Boston Red Sox are also expected to pursue Hernández, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

Hernández might not be the only outfielder the Phillies are competing for this winter. Philadelphia has also "inquired and tried to find a package that would work" in a potential trade for Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

The New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants are also interested in acquiring Tucker, according to Sherman.

Dombrowski has indicated that the Phillies will prioritize an addition at left field, given that Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh could conceivably slot in at center, according to Gelb.

"So when I say upgrade, I've always said left field or center field because we could play Marsh in center field. Or Rojas," Dombrowski said, per Gelb. "I can't say that we'll end up doing that. I do not know at this point."

The Phillies' NLDS loss to the New York Mets may have influenced Dombrowski's urgency to make a change in the outfield. Both Marsh and Rojas, who combined for two hits and no runs in the series, were non-factors on offense as the Phillies were eliminated in five games.

Hernández meanwhile followed up his career-high 33 home runs in the 2024 season with three more postseason homers to help the Dodgers clinch the title.

That postseason success makes Hernández an appealing candidate for a Phillies team looking to get back to the World Series for the first time since losing to the Astros in 2022. But Hernández has indicated he wants to return to the Dodgers, and no MLB club is better at finding ways to pay as many star players as possible.

The Phillies may have to turn their attention toward Tucker or other candidates including free-agent outfielder Anthony Santander as they look to get more production from their outfield in 2025.

If a recent insider report is any indication, the Philadelphia Phillies could look mightily different by the time the 2025 MLB season kicks off.

The Athletic's Matt Gelb reported that the team continues to dangle Alec Bohm and Ranger Suárez in trade talks. Nick Castellanos is also available, but the team recognizes that it would have to pay $40 million of his remaining deal.

Bohm received considerable criticism for his sub-par second-half play that ultimately landed him on the bench for the NLDS series against the New York Mets. In four games and 14 plate appearances in the 2024 playoffs, the third baseman tallied just one hit and a batting average of 0.77.

Still, despite his late-season slump, Bohm was good for three wins above replacement and the second-best on-base percentage, batting average, and slugging percentage of his career, while finishing tied for his most RBI with 97. 2024 also saw Bohm make his first All-Star Game and finish as a semifinalist in the Home Run Derby.

Bohm's issue may be in the dugout. AJ Pierzynski revealed on Foul Territory that the four-year player needs to mature as an adult and that his benching may not have been completely play-related.

Suárez began the season as one of the best pitchers in baseball but struggled down the stretch, finishing the year with a 3.46 ERA, a WHIP of 1.201, and 3.54 strikeouts per walk. Still, he, like Bohm, was an All-Star.

Castellanos played in all 162 games, hit 23 home runs, drove in 86 RBI, and slashed to the tune of .254/.311/.431. It was a down season compared to what he accomplished in 2023, but things turned ugly in the postseason when the notoriously picky Philly fans booed him.

None of the three lived up to expectations in 2024 but that is not cause for trading them away for replacements in hopes that those players can perform up to the level of the players who have been instrumental to the team's playoff runs in recent years.

Bohm is a steady hitter, Suárez is a starter on 30 of 30 MLB teams, and Castellanos brings a swagger, confidence, and attitude that helped define the Phillies during their World Series run in 2022.

Without any certainty that they can find players who will do for the team what those athletes have, trading them away because of a single down season is hardly akin to playing winning baseball in the front office.

Does the team need upgrades at key positions? Absolutely. Philly needs a starter and an outfielder. With several quality starters available and Anthony Santander right there for the taking, the team can easily accomplish both of those needs, while holding onto foundational pieces.

Does it need a complete overhaul, with the replacement of contributing players? No, and it should not execute the trades that result in needing three starting players in three key positions.

Especially with Trea Turner not exactly living up to expectations to this point in hs run with the organization.

Already projected to be nearly $40 million over the competitive balance tax, the Philadelphia Phillies are exploring ways to upgrade their roster for next season without negatively impacting their long-term plans for success.

Per The Athletic's Matt Gelb, the Phillies have shopped Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm and Ranger Suárez in trade talks this offseason.

There's no indication that any deal is close at this point, with Gelb noting the Phillies are seeking MLB-ready players back for either Bohm or Suárez.

Castellanos would be costly to deal, if only because his limited defensive ability makes the $40 million left on his contract less appealing to teams. According to Gelb, the Phillies would have to pay down "much" of the two-time All-Star's remaining salary.

Of the three players mentioned, Bohm seems like the one Philadelphia would be most eager to move. He's coming off easily the best season of his career in 2024 and is projected to earn $8.1 million in his second year of arbitration next season.

Dealing Bohm now would be selling high, but he's also not a player who would likely bring back a significant return. The 28-year-old was worth 3.5 FanGraphs wins above replacement in 2024, nearly matching his total from the previous three seasons combined (4.2).

Bohm tailed off in the second half last year after making the All-Star team. He hit .295/.348/.482 with 11 homers before the break, but just .251/.299/.382 with four homers after.

Given the current market for starting pitching, Suárez might bring back the biggest return of these three players for the Phillies. His value will be depressed because 2025 is his final year of arbitration, but a projected $11.3 million salary would be very appealing to every team that is looking for a starter.

Suárez made his first All-Star team in 2024 and posted a 3.46 ERA in 150.2 innings over 27 starts. The converted reliever ranks 10th among NL pitchers in WAR (8.2), 13th in innings pitched (431) and 17th in ERA (3.74) since the start of the 2022 season.

Phillies owner John Middleton has made it clear he anticipates their payroll will go up next season as they look to take advantage of this window with key players like Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler still in their prime, but the front office might need to get creative to open up spots that they can upgrade.

Castellanos is expendable because they already have a bunch of outfield/DH-type players on the roster. Bohm still fills a need at third base, but 2023 first-round pick Aidan Miller is on his way after reaching Double-A as a 20-year-old at the end of last season.

Trading Suárez would be taking a key piece away from their greatest strength, but they would still have Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sánchez to anchor the rotation if they decide to deal him.

The Phillies won the NL East last season for the first time since 2011, but they lost in the NLDS to the New York Mets in four games.

The Philadelphia Phillies are not in on the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

The Phillies "never met with Juan Soto and are not among the teams who have made an offer to the star outfielder," Matt Gelb reported for The Athletic.

Gelb's comment follows a Nov. 25 report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale that the Phillies "haven't had a single conversation with [agent Scott Boras] to express interest in Soto."

The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are thought to be the strongest contenders to sign Soto, according to The Athletic. Multiple teams have offered Soto more than $600 million, per The Athletic.

Boras said on Tuesday that Soto has started eliminating some clubs from consideration, but did not specify which teams, per Rosenthal and Drellich.

Soto, who turned 26 in October, is projected to get the second-largest contract in MLB history behind two-way star Shohei Ohtani as he enters free agency after helping lead the New York Yankees to the 2024 World Series.

He recorded a career-high 7.9 wins against replacement and led the AL with 128 runs while batting .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBI, walking 129 times while recording an on-base percentage of .419 in 157 games last season.

Acquired by the Yankees in a trade with the San Diego Padres in December 2023, Soto has long been expected to sign a blockbuster deal with his next contract. He raised those expectations even higher as he upped his production in the postseason to slash .327/.469/.633 in 14 games.

Every MLB team would like to add a batter as productive as Soto to their lineup, but the Phillies and their top-five payroll seemed likely to be part of the minority of franchises that could afford to be involved in a bidding war for the outfielder this offseason.

But there have been a few early indications that the Phillies don't plan on setting any records with their free agency offers this winter.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in October that he didn't see getting a star player this offseason as a "necessity."

"I don't think we need to have more star players," Dombrowski said. "We have as many stars as about anybody in baseball. So I don't think necessarily that you need to add more."

When announcing an ownership group expansion in November, managing partner John Middleton said that "it's hard to go much crazier with the payroll" than the Phillies already have.

The Phillies will look to bolster their batting power elsewhere. A November poll of MLB.com insiders named Philadelphia as the top destination for free agent outfielder Anthony Santander after he recorded a career-high 44 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024.

Don't be surprised if the Philadelphia Phillies shake up the roster after 2024's disappointing ouster in the National League Divisional Series, with the team eying Alex Bregman in particular during free agency.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Phillies "have been shopping outfielder Nick Castellanos for nearly two years and now are making third baseman Alec Bohm available."

The team has reportedly held discussions with the Chicago White Sox on a deal that would send out Bohm and outfield prospect Justin Crawford, in part, for starting pitcher Garrett Crochet. And if they do make such a move, Nightengale reported that "they are expected to make a strong play for Bregman, whose talent and personality would fit in perfectly with the team, or perhaps sign Willy Adames and move him over to third base."

It isn't the first time he's been linked to the Phillies:

Bregman, 30, is a two-time All-Star and two-time champion who has won a Gold Glove in his career and hit .260 in 2024 with 26 homers, 75 RBI, 79 runs and a .768 OPS. He would be an upgrade over Bohm both offensively and defensively, though he's also two years older and would be far more expensive, with Bohm under club control for two more seasons.

And yes, Bregman is expected to have a vibrant market:

As for the biggest fish in free agency, Juan Soto, Nightengale reported that the Phillies "haven't had a single conversation" with his agent, Scott Boras. So Philly may be staying out of that bidding war, with eyes for Bregman instead.

The Philadelphia Phillies "haven't had a single conversation" with the agent for star slugger Juan Soto, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Nightengale reported the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox are the four serious suitors for Soto at this stage, and he described the Mets as "the clear-cut favorite."

On the Phillies, the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported on Nov. 19 they planned to meet with Soto and his agent, Scott Boras.

Until the four-time All-Star signs a contract, there's theoretically time for another team to make a pitch at the eleventh hour. However, it's hard to see why Philadelphia would willingly cede valuable negotiating time with such a prized free agent if the team had serious interest.

To the extent Soto would clearly help every MLB team, spending $40-plus million a year on him may not be the best investment when the Phillies already have a solid offense. They ranked fifth in slugging (.425) and fourth in wOBA (.325), per FanGraphs.

Nightengale called the Blue Jays a "sleeper" in the Soto sweepstakes.

Last offseason, Toronto made a run at Shohei Ohtani. Who can forget that brief window when it looked like the two-way star was traveling north of the border ahead of a potential agreement with the team.

Beyond what he'd bring to the field now, signing Soto would be a massive sign of intent from the Blue Jays with homegrown stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette heading for free agency in the winter of 2025.

If the organization is prepared to break the bank for Soto, then it stands to reason it won't be dissuaded from Guerrero or Bichette's eventual asking prices.

The Philadelphia Phillies watched their dreams of a return to the World Series in 2024 crash and burn at the hands of a red-hot New York Mets squad in the National League's Divisional Series and will now spend the offseason seeking the right players to ensure they do not experience that disappointment again.

One way to do that is to upgrade their starting rotation, something the team is already looking into.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported, "No already-employed player was sought after more at these GM meetings than Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, who struck out 209 batters in 146 innings and earned only $800,000 last season. The White Sox have openly told teams he's available and are expected to trade him by the end of the winter meetings, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers the most aggressive."

Interestingly enough, the Dodgers are also interested in acquiring Crochet's services from Chicago.

It is not difficult to see why.

Crochet pitched in 146 innings in 2024, the most of his career. He compiled a 3.58 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and struck out 209 batters while walking just 33.

He was a strike-throwing machine for a historically bad White Sox squad, and the idea of him jumping ship to a contending team is appealing for the player and whichever squad is lucky enough to work out a deal with Chicago.

For the Phillies, it would almost certainly secure the team the best rotation in the game.

Adding Crochet to a roster that already includes Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, and Aaron Nola would instantaneously push the team to the level of, if not beyond, the Dodgers as the favorite to win the NL pennant, especially considering those players' ability to hold the Dodgers' explosive lineup in check.

Does the team need another bat?

Realistically, yes, preferably in the outfield. Going and getting Anthony Santander, who is an excellent right fielder and blasted 44 home runs in 2024, would be a huge "get" for the team. He would be an upgrade at a position of need and bring power hitting to the Phils' lineup.

Even without him, though, there is enough to like about the Phillies and the roster they have assembled to believe they would be every bit the threat to make the World Series as they were this season.

More so if they can convince Chicago to part with their fastball-throwing lefty.

Alex Bregman could be on the move in free agency this offseason.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, a rival evaluator predicted the Philadelphia Phillies to land the Houston Astros infielder. The 30-year-old has been with the Astros his entire nine-year career.

Bregman is coming off a five-year, $100 million contract with Houston and could earn a bigger salary in 2025 as Spotrac gives him a market value of $30 million per year.

The Phillies have a projected payroll of $266.5 million heading into free agency, per Spotrac, which is the most in the majors. Olney noted that Philadelphia should have money coming off the books in the coming years, which could make signing Bregman a feasible option.

Houston has extended Bregman a $21.05 million qualifying offer, though he'll likely turn down that offer and search for a long-term deal, either with the Astros or elsewhere.

Bregman hit 26 home runs, 75 RBI and had a .260 batting average over 145 games last season.

While the Phillies are a contender for Bregman, his current team seems keen on bringing him back this offseason. After Houston's wild-card exit in October, Astros star Jose Altuve spoke about the importance of retaining Bregman, who helped bring the organization two World Series.

"We're not going to be the same organization without him," Altuve said, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "In my mind, there's not a chance this is the last one."

In early November, Astros general manager Dana Brown iterated a similar message about Bregman's importance to the team.

"The biggest priority is third base, without a doubt," Brown said, per MLB.com's Martín Gallegos. "We would love to have Alex Bregman back. That's our biggest priority."

Bregman's value to the Astros is clear at this point. Now he'll wait to see what offers come his way in free agency.