The players featured in the “Make Or Break” feature usually fall into one of several general categories. Sometimes it’s a former star running out of opportunities to prove he belongs in the majors, or maybe a solid star trying to bounce back after a down year or two, or maybe a veteran trying to get his career back on track after a long injury.
Alec Bohm it does not exactly fit any of these types. In fact, one could argue that Bohm is already “done” in the sense that he was an All-Star in 2024, and will come off four seasons as the Phillies’ top choice at third base (and part-time first baseman), with 8.0 fWAR to show for his 560 games and 2352 plate appearances from 2022-2522. He averaged a career-high 105 wRC+ at the plate over those four seasons, and Bohm’s third base glovework has improved from bad to less than palatable, and even better depending on your preferred metric.
This is a record for a solid, Major League-caliber player, and it’s a resume Bohm is justifiably proud to have achieved. “You look in the grand scheme of things, of all the players, very few have played in the big leagues, not many reach arbitration.,” Bohm recently told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.Then the list gets even smaller for those who reach settlement, reach free agency. Then the list gets smaller when you’re talking about guys who are up to 10 years and older.”
“When you step back and look at it from a different perspective, I’ve done a lot of great things. I’ve had a great career for myself, I’ve made it more than most people can say. I’m proud of that, and I want to continue to build on it..”
Bohm’s issue is, in some ways, a framework issue. Bohm can be described as a decent or good player…or as a decent or good “player”. The Phillies didn’t really hurt by having Bohm take a regular spot in their lineup, and he’s not at fault for the team’s inability to get over the World Series championship hump. (Bohm’s .225/.327/.333 slash line over 150 postseason plate appearances isn’t great, but he’s far from the only Philadelphia hitter who will struggle in the playoffs.)
Because Bohm’s production has always been close to average, however, it creates the sense that the Phillies could do better at the hot corner. It also doesn’t help that Bohm’s opinion was that he was the best prospect and the third overall pick in the 2018 draft. While Rosenthal notes that Bohm’s production improved many of the top names in that draft class, the incoming player is (rightly or wrongly) a victim of the high expectations that come with being a top draft pick. In some ways, Bohm represents the biggest problem clouding this successful run of Phillies baseball – the team hasn’t gotten much out of its farm system, as the roster is largely built up in free agency and trades.
Along these same lines, Bohm has been the subject of trade rumors for the better part of two years. Bohm’s 3.4 fWAR season in 2024 was the best of his career, as he had a 113 wRC+ from hitting .280/.332/.448 with 15 homers over 606 PA, and delivered a +4 Outs Above Average as a third baseman. The downside of his career year was that Bohm went downhill after the All-Star break, and the Phillies’ response to this breakout campaign was to trade Bohm to address other needs.
Teams like the Athletics, Mariners, Royals, Angels, and White Sox have all been linked to Bohm in the 2024-25 offseason, with the Phils moving Bohm and signing one Alex Bregman or Willy Adams playing third base. Phillies president of baseball Dave Dombrowski was at least intent on buying Bohm’s offer, and possibly even higher — reports indicated. George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Mason Milleragain Garrett Crochet they were among the players the Phillies wanted for trade packages that included Bohm.
There weren’t many public reports about Bohm’s market this offseason, perhaps because Bohm’s production dipped to a 105 wRC+ (.287/.331/.409 with 11 homers over 464 PA) and he was limited to 120 games due to left rib fractures and shoulder inflammation. Philadelphia also looked to develop a third baseman, coming up short on signing him Bo Bichette in a situation that would make Bohm an obvious trade chip for the rest of the winter.
Moving forward, high hopes Aidan Miller He is expected to make his MLB debut in 2026, then move into an everyday role at second or third base in 2027. This puts pressure on the second baseman. Bryson Stott for one, but it’s a direct threat to Bohm as he’s set to become a free agent next season. As Rosenthal puts it, “right now, maybe even more than before, Bohm is playing for 29 other teams.” There is also a non-zero chance that Bohm could be dealt during the season depending on how the Phillies feel about Miller’s ability to contribute quickly in the majors.
For his part, Bohm wasn’t concerned about trade speculation or his impending free agency, saying he was concerned about playing. “I don’t take any of it personally, think too far out of it. Everything is beyond my control. There is nothing I can do to stop it….I can’t stop it. It’s just part of your business side,” said Bohm.
A midseason trade would make Bohm ineligible for a qualifying offer, so that would remove any draft compensation from his free agent case. Assuming Bohm is still a Phillie through 2026, a qualifying offer would be a sticking point, as it might take a big step up in production for Philadelphia to even consider releasing Bohm QO. If Bohm delivers his typical season, there’s a good chance he’ll just accept the offer and take a big one-year payday (this year’s QO was worth $22.025MM) rather than deal with both the downside of his market, and the added uncertainty of how the inevitable lockout will affect the 2026-27 offseason. Miller could take over at third base for less salary.
Qualifying offers aside, Bohm is the type of mid-tier free agent that we’ve seen the market squelch in the past. Teams without a lot of salary may feel they can replicate Bohm’s production with a cheap veteran or two team options. Big-spending teams could take the Phillies’ approach and look for big names at third base, where Bohm becomes a great fallback option. Between the lockout and potential changes made to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams may not be able to make an early commitment to a middle-class player like Bohm until they know exactly how baseball’s business structure will change.
The easiest way for Bohm to change the narrative, of course, is to have a very good 2026 season. He needs to hit better against righty pitching and stay consistent over the course of a full year, and while this is easy to say, we’ve seen flashes of how good Bohm can be when he’s been in one of his hot streaks. Again, it’s not like Bohm is a bad player – his hard-hitting levels are solid, and he’s very good at connecting and avoiding hits. Driving his walk rates and barrels up to moderate levels would make Bohm a more dangerous threat at the plate.
Bohm will turn 30 in August, and could benefit from a small class of third-round free agents next winter. Teams have shown they will pay for star-level production or star-level power, but free agent space for players like Bohm has a nice high floor but seemingly limited ceiling. A two-year contract (perhaps three years at most) around $10MM in average annual value seems reasonable for the 2024 version of Bohm, so he’ll need to at least put up those numbers to avoid putting on a one-year slate, proving the type of offer next winter.
