The Philadelphia Phillies should have made this move well over a year ago.
The Philadelphia Phillies have gotten off to a rather inauspicious start this season, as they are sitting at 6-6 thanks much in part to a lackluster offense that ranks near the bottom of baseball in just about every category.
For a Phillies squad that is accustomed to clubbing baseballs, this is rather uncharted territory, but perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised based on how they did virtually nothing during the offseason, much to the chagrin of a hungry fanbase.
One of the biggest culprits for Philadelphia's offensive woes this season has been third baseman Alec Bohm, who is slashing just .186/.271/.279 over 48 plate appearances.
Yes, it's still early, and Bohm owns a respectable lifetime .277/.327/.413 slash line, so this is certainly a bit of a mirage. But it's also an indication that the Phillies waited a bit too long to pull the trigger on a Bohm trade.
Remember: two offseasons ago, there was significant buzz surrounding a potential Bohm move. Teams were apparently interested following Bohm's All-Star campaign in which he managed a .779 OPS, and some felt he could be dealt.
But Philadelphia opted to hold on to the former first-round pick, banking on his "breakout" 2024 campaign as a sign of things to come.
Instead, Bohm regressed last season, posting a .741 OPS while continuing to play underwhelming defense at the hot corner.
Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm. Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images.The Phillies tried to sign Bo Bichette in free agency this past winter, which almost certainly would have resulted in the jettisoning of Bohm, but Bichette elected to join the New York Mets, forcing Philadelphia to keep Bohm at third base.
The problem? Bohm now has virtually no value.
The 29-year-old — who is clearly never going to live up to his initial billing — is preparing to enter free agency next offseason, so the Phillies are going to have a very difficult time finding a club willing to surrender anything of actual value for him.
Dave Dombrowski could have gotten something in return for him two winters ago, but it decided to stay the course. Now, he is paying for it.
Philadelphia has Aidan Miller waiting in the wings down in the minor leagues. At least whenever that back issue finally clears up. Once Miller is ready, expect to see him in the majors, which would essentially spell the end for Bohm.
Unfortunately, the Phillies have now reached a point where trading Bohm is not going to yield much of a return, especially if the Omaha, Ne. native continues trending toward the worst offensive campaign of his career.
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