Phillies Could Suddenly Have Surprising Third Base Trade Target

The Philadelphia Phillies seem to be learning toward Aidan Miller to begin next season at third base, but that's obviously taking a huge risk.

Miller was expected to contend for a roster spot heading into 2026, but a back injury knocked him out of Spring Training — and most of the campaign.

There is no question the 22-year-old is going into next spring behind the 8-ball, regardless of how much Dave Dombrowski wants him starting at the hot corner.

In a way, I understand it.

Alec Bohm is a free agent, and it's looking more and more like the Phillies won't be retaining him. There also aren't really any enticing options available on the open market outside of Teruaki Sato, who might not even be capable of playing third base.

The general feeling is that Miller, naturally a shortstop, will end up playing third on the major-league level anyway, and Philadelphia did start rookie Justin Crawford in center field last year. So perhaps the Phillies would be perfectly content starting another rookie.

But Philadelphia should also be perusing the trade market, and one very intriguing candidate just became a possibility: Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson.

The A's have been receiving trade interest in Wilson, who signed a seven-year, $70 million contract extension last February. But because that was under previous general manager David Forst, new top executive Taylor Smith may be open to the idea of moving him.

Wilson has played shortstop throughout his brief big-league career, but his defense at the position has been questionable. It hasn't been bad, and he showed significant improvement in 2026, but he could stand to benefit from changing positions.

Third base is universally viewed as the more manageable infield spot, so perhaps the Phillies could swing a trade for Wilson and shift him to the hot corner.

Wilson did not have a great season this past year, slashing .266/.298/.355 over 388 plate appearances. He was plagued by injuries throughout the campaign, so he never got the chance to settle in.

But during his first full season in 2025, Wilson slashed .311/.355/.444 with 13 home runs and 63 RBI across 523 trips to the dish, finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

He is also a former No. 6 overall pick, so he is oozing with potential.

Wilson is under contract through 2032 on an incredibly team-friendly deal, so the Athletics have no reason to move him. But that shouldn't stop the Phillies from calling the A's to see if he could be had.