Philadelphia's Alec Bohm Could Be The Answer to Mets' 1B Quandary

As the MLB offseason continues to pick up steam, the New York Mets have a lot of boxes to check on their to-do list: add a veteran piece to a young and promising starting staff, figure out who'll play second and third base, determine if Devin Williams is the answer at closer and give thought to making Juan Soto a full-time designated hitter rather than keeping him a substandard leftfielder.

With first baseman Jorge Polanco owed $20 million in 2027, it would seem the Mets would have to swallow hard and continue to employ him there next season despite Polanco's incredibly underwhelming (.148 average, two home runs) and injury-plagued (37 total games) 2026 season in which he was the front office's choice to replace departed franchise icon Pete Alonso.

Jared Young admirably attempted to fill the void, finishing with a .266 average with nine homers and 39 RBIs in 103 games, so he could man first when the lockout-threatened 2027 season commences, whenever that may be.

But riding shotgun with the offseason is speculation season, so everyone has an opinion about how the Mets should answer any or all of their questions, with more than one suggesting the Alonso-sized hole at first base could at least be adequately filled by the Philadelphia Phillies' Alec Bohm.

After falling to the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Series, a tumultuous offseason may be in store for the aging Phillies.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, more than a half-dozen Phillies will enter the free-agent market. Feinsand singles out Bohm as "one of the bigger names" in that group of FAs.

The 30-year-old Bohm has been a constant in the Phillies' lineup since 2020, mostly at third base, but after Philly acquired Luiz Arraez at August's trade deadline, a wholesale lineup shakeup occurred. With Arraez slotted at second base, Bryson Stott moved to third and Bryce Harper shifted to right with Bohm moving across the diamond to first.

Bohm has been solid if unspectacular in his seven-year career, though he is only one of seven MLB players to drive in at least 85 runs in three of the last four seasons, a list that also includes Alonso, San Diego's Manny Machado and Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr.

After a tough first six weeks of the season, Bohm rebounded to finish with a .249 average, .698 OPS, 15 homers and 88 RBIs. Granted, those OPS and average numbers were career lows in seasons in which he's played more than 115 games, but he did hit .274 with 14 HRs and 73 RBIs over the Phillies' final 120 games.

Another who could see Bohm in blue pinstripes in 2027 is Tim Boyle, a writer for Rising Apple, who suggests the right-handed Bohm could be a perfect platoon partner for the lefty-swinging Young.

"Bohm has hit lefties well in his career [with] an .853 OPS and good numbers against southpaws yet again in 2026," Boyle wrote on Oct. 11. "A lifetime .273/.325/.410 hitter, he’s more of a doubles guy than a home run one. He doesn’t draw a lot of walks nor does he strike out a ton. He hits the ball hard, often on the ground. Other teams could view him more as an everyday option at first base or DH. The Mets have no such availability at the moment although there’s no reason to play Jorge Polanco if he continues to hit on the Interstate."

There's also a chance Bohm could be a solution back at third base where the Mets' Mark Vientos and Brett Baty, who are both arbitration-eligible this offseason, continue to offer promise though neither has been able to firmly take hold of the job.