Phillies' Alec Bohm Debacle Exposes Major Organizational Problem

A couple of years ago, Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm was a hot topic on the trade market, and the Phillies seemed primed to get a decent return.

After all, Bohm slashed a very respectable .280/.332/.448 with 15 home runs and 97 RBI in 2024 and was even coming off of an All-Star appearance.

Was Bohm still an overall disappointment relative to his billing when Philadelphia took him third overall in the 2018 MLB Draft? Sure. Was his defense still subpar? Absolutely, but the Phillies thought he had more value than the trade market was dictating.

Fast forward to 2026, and Philadelphia surely wishes it pulled the trigger on a deal two offseasons ago.

Bohm owns a .653 OPS this season. He owns a minus-8 DRS and a minus-6 OAA at third base, and things haven't been any better since his move to first. He lays claim to a negative-0.2 WAR, and yet, the Phillies keep playing him every day, much to the chagrin of the fanbase.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic was asked about Philly's undying devotion to Bohm during a recent mailbag, and his answer was pretty blunt.

"The Phillies have had several chances over the last few years to move on from Bohm, but the front office never felt like it was getting commensurate value in return. Or that the alternative to replace Bohm was better."

At this point, just about anyone would be a better option than Bohm in the eyes of the Philadelphia faithful.

"So they held onto him. Now he’s a below-replacement-level player and will walk at the end of the season for nothing in return," Gelb added. "The Phillies tend to hang onto some players until their value is totally depleted, and Bohm looks to be a prime example of that."

The fact that Philadelphia has refused to loosen its grip on Bohm is a major organizational problem, as it's symptomatic of a much larger issue.

The Phillies' stubbornness when it comes to receiving value is reflected in their poor farm system, which ranks among the league's worst and doesn't have a whole lot in the pipeline heading into 2027.

Would Philadelphia have reaped a massive return for Bohm? Of course not, but at least the Phillies would have gotten something for a player who was clearly a significant disappointment no matter how you sliced it.