Everybody knows at this point that the Philadelphia Phillies would be content with moving multiple players in the offseason if it means they can improve their roster.
The Phillies have a few obvious trade candidates, with Nick Castellanos, an outfielder, and third baseman Alec Bohm being at the top of that list.
Castellanos seems guaranteed to be traded, while Bohm is in a strange spot.
Over the past few years, some have suggested that Bohm could be dealt, but it's yet to happen, so it's something that will likely only come to fruition if the team finds a perfect replacement for him or gets the deal they want.
Among the options to replace him, left-handed hitting Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami should be at the top of that list.
Mike Axisa of CBS Sports believes there's a real opportunity for them to replace him with the Japanese star.
“It's an open secret the Phillies want to shake up their lineup after another quick and disappointing postseason exit. Trading Alec Bohm and putting Murakami at third base is the easy move.
“Letting Kyle Schwarber walk as a free agent and putting Murakami at DH would be the unpopular yet bold move. Philadelphia's World Series window is as open as it's going to get and home runs win in the postseason. Murakami hits 'em. The Phillies have an opening at DH and can easily create an opening at third base. Hmmm,” he wrote.
He mentioned the possibility of making Murakami a designated hitter and allowing Kyle Schwarber to walk. Still, if the Phillies are indeed serious about winning a World Series, the smarter plan would be to re-sign Schwarber and let him be a DH, while making Murakami play somewhere in the infield.
He has an opportunity to play third or first base, considering what he did in Japan, but it looks like he profiles better as a long-term first baseman.
There are obviously some questions about that because of Bryce Harper at first base, but if there's a possibility for him to move back to the outfield or they want to give Harper some days off as a designated hitter, there's reason to believe a lot of this could make sense.