Phillies' $23 Million Debate Shouldn't Be Much of a Question

The Philadelphia Phillies are entering the offseason with a major Alec Bohm question: do they retain him, or do they let him walk?

Bohm has been one of the more frustrating Phillies players in recent memory, showing flashes of brilliance in between stretches of nothingness.

Case in point, the 29-year-old managed a .426 OPS between March and April this past year and entered the All-Star break with a .215/.278/.354 slash line. He then posted a .794 OPS during the second half and somehow finished ahead of Bryce Harper with 88 RBI.

Bohm is now headed toward free agency, and earlier in 2026, the general consensus was that Philadelphia would cut the cord.

The problem is that the Phillies may not have any better options. Aidan Miller clearly isn't ready after missing most of 2026 with a back injury, and the free-agent market is incredibly thin on third basemen.

Philadelphia might just end up bringing Bohm back for 2027 (and possibly beyond), but how will the Phils go about doing it?

Well, one possibility is offering Bohm a qualifying offer, which would be $23.15 million for next season. In that scenario, the Phillies would protect themselves in the event that he signs elsewhere, as they would reap a compensatory pick.

Philadelphia employed that strategy with Ranger Suarez last winter, and it worked.

The difference? Suarez was totally worth the money the Phillies would have paid him on the qualifying offer if he stayed. Bohm, on the other hand, certainly isn't.

Philadelphia could unquestionably retain Bohm on a much cheaper yearly salary if it simply declines to tender the qualifying offer and then re-signs him in free agency.

Spotrac is projecting the former first-round pick to bag a three-year, $37.9 million contract in the coming months, which comes out to $12.6 million annually.

Is that a lot for a guy who just logged a .698 OPS while playing bad defense? Yes, but it's certainly better than paying him $23 million, and again, Bohm was considerably better during the second half of the season in 2026.

Under no circumstances should the Phillies offer Bohm the qualifying offer. If they do, he will almost certainly accept it, because there is no way he is getting $23 million annually from any other team.

The smart move is to let Bohm hit free agency unfettered and then take your chances on trying to retain him on an affordable deal. And if another club overpays? Then so be it: let him depart.