Apr 19, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third base Alec Bohm (28) takes the field for action against the Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Bill Streicher
Every Tuesday, On Pattison's Tim Kelly and Anthony SanFilippo will answer your questions from social media pertaining to the Phillies. Let's get to it.
Brandon Wallander on Facebook: If Alec Bohm gets traded, where will he go and who should replace him?
Tim Kelly: I know Robert Murray of FanSided linked the Seattle Mariners to Bohm last week. I'm not sure they necessarily have a player that would fill a need for the Phillies, unless closer Andrés Muñoz is on the table.
Given how much credibility there appears to be with these Bohm rumors, it might be difficult to bring him back and put the toothpaste back in the tube. But if the Phillies trade him, it has to be for a player that's ready to make a big impact for you in 2025, preferably a high-leverage reliever or a starting outfielder.
Opposing Teams Reportedly Believe Alec Bohm ‘Is Gonna Be Traded’ - @OnPattison https://t.co/35xuVsdEzk
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) November 16, 2024
If the Phillies trade Bohm, it only furthers their need to add contact-oriented players. My pick would be Ha-Seong Kim, who is a tremendous defender all over the infield. He also will work walks and has speed, so he could be a leadoff hitter.
The only downside to Kim is he might not be ready for Opening Day as he recovers from a tear in the labrum of his right shoulder. Because of that, though, there's no qualifying offer attached to him. You may also be able to get Kim on a one-year pillow contract and then give him a qualifying offer next offseason.
If you need to have Edmundo Sosa, Kody Clemens and Weston Wilson hold down the fort at third base in April while you wait for Kim to get healthy, so be it.
Anthony SanFilippo: It's good to be back after a week off and just Tim answering questions. And I'm welcomed by a fastball in on the fists. I'm up for the challenge though. Like Tim, I think Bohm is a better fit for the Mariners than the Mariners are a fit for the Phillies in a trade for Bohm. That said, I don't necessarily think the return for Bohm has to be a high leverage reliever or a starting outfielder. It can be, sure. But it doesn't have to be.
Tim is right that there's a lot of credibility with the Bohm trade rumors - probably as much credibility as the Garrett Crochet trade rumors. So, I say Bohm is part of the deal for Crochet to give the Phillies the much-needed pitching depth they covet.
As for who replaces Bohm at third? I'm sticking by Alex Bregman. I know about the reports of what his agent, Scott Boras is asking for, but he's not going to get that money. That's part of the offseason games that agents play. I'll address this more in a later question about Bregman.
@ThirtyBallparks on Threads: When do you think the Phillies should start working with Bryce Harper on an extension? Sooner the better? Wait to see how things shake out a few years from now? Not until he wins us a World Series?
Tim Kelly: Harper has seven years remaining on his current deal. For as great as he's been over the first six years, he's 32 and has dealt with some injuries.
Unless and until Harper and agent Scott Boras decide to make things ugly publicly, I'm just not sure what motivation the Phillies have to extend Harper when he's signed through his age-38 season.
That doesn't mean it's not a story worth following — it absolutely is. But the best move for the Phillies right now is to probably see how Harper ages.
Anthony SanFilippo: Not now. The Phillies are in a little bit of salary hell with how much money is tied up in so few players, Harper included. If you add to that, it only makes it harder to improve the team where it needs to improve. Harper will get an extension that will likely pay him for his past performance and not his future at some point during the remaining seven years of his deal, but it's not going to be when the Phillies are trying to make the the last moves they feel they need to make to finally get over the hump and win a World Series.
@SuozzoOwen on X: Does the report about Alex Bregman and Scott Boras wanting Manny Machado money end the fit for the Phillies?
It Sounds Like Alex Bregman's Price Could Be Exorbitant
Latest from @TimKellySports ⬇️https://t.co/KooPGJnb40
Tim Kelly: Truth be told, I'm not sure the Phillies were ever a great bet to sign Bregman.
He's still a very good player, but he's going to be 31 next year and I projected over on Bleacher Report that he'll sign for five years and $130 million with a $26 million club option for a sixth season. And most outlets have predicted Bregman will sign for six or seven years.
Over the past five seasons, Bregman has hit .261 with a .795 OPS. To me, that's not someone you give superstar money to. And I think he's going to get pretty close to superstar money.
Anthony SanFilippo: I think there needs to be some creativity with how the Phillies tackle this offseason. They obviously need more contact in their lineup. They obviously need at least one if not two outfielders. They obviously need a bullpen arm or two and some better starting pitching depth. But they did this last season, tinkering on the margins of the roster. And how'd that work out? Now, they need to be bolder, and if that means artistically moving some money out to bring other money in, then that's what has to be done.
Dave Dombrowski, Preston Mattingly and Sam Fuld (for now) need to play chess this offseason. They need to think three moves ahead. They may make one move that doesn't make a ton of sense by itself, to set up another move down the line. And if you are moving on from Alec Bohm — and it's understandable as to why that would happen — then you have to not only replace his production but improve on last season as well. And while he did dip significantly after an incredibly hot start, his final numbers were still very good. If you aren't getting Juan Soto, and they'll try, but it remains a long shot, then you need to add production to what you had last year. Maybe that player isn't there in the outfield, but it's there at third base. And while third base isn't a glaring position of need — because you currently have Bohm — it doesn't mean it can't be the position where you add the bigger move.
Maybe the Phillies find a way to dump some other money. Maybe they pay someone a little bit of cash to take Taijuan Walker. Maybe they get someone to take Nick Castellanos at $40 million over the next two years. Maybe they use Ranger Suárez as trade bait to get an outfielder. There are a lot of outside-the-box ways to add a player like Bregman and give him a fair contract (what Boras is seeking isn't going to happen). But let's say Tim's right, and he's getting roughly $27 million a year for five years plus a couple of options at the end. You can find a way to balance off some, most or all of that money by trimming some current fat on your ledger.
All that to say, I think Bregman is a Plan B to Soto, and may be becoming Plan A with each passing minute.
@Shermanator1996 on BlueSky: Do you seriously believe the rumors/speculation about teams going after Jeff Hoffman as a starter?
There’s ‘Industry Buzz’ Jeff Hoffman Could Draw Interest As Starter in Free Agency, per @kileymcd | @OnPattison https://t.co/r8MwOGSp4T
Tim Kelly: Do I believe that there are teams who have wondered aloud whether Hoffman could be successful if he returned to starting? Yes. Do I think his representation will be open to any opportunities that maximize his (and by extension, their) earnings? Also, yes.
But in the end, Hoffman had a 2.28 ERA over 122 games the past two seasons. He's proven he can thrive as a reliever, and I think he'll be pitching out of the bullpen somewhere in 2025.
Where that remains to be seen. Based off of conversations that both Anthony and I have had with Hoffman, I believe if the Phillies make a competitive offer, he'll return. He really does like it here, as does his family, which is from New York state. He's seen what it's like to play for unstable franchises like the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds, and I don't think he wants to go back to something like that.
Anthony SanFilippo: Baseball, like most sports, is a copycat league. When you see guys successfully convert from reliever to starter in the past few seasons — namely Reynaldo López in Atlanta, Crochet in Chicago and Michael King in San Diego in 2024 — then teams are going to start looking around to see if there are other pitchers who fit that profile as potential conversion possibilities.
Hoffman's pitch arsenal profiles well to make such a conversion — and it was only a few years ago that he was still starting in the league — so it's not a crazy notion for him to go back.
That said, he's never had success as a starter, but he has had success in his current role. He wants to pitch for a contender and for the sake of his family, he'd like to stay generally close to the Northeast where booth he and his wife are from (New York).
It's why I see him staying in the pen, cashing in on his last two seasons, and pitching for a contender in 2025 and beyond. And the Phillies make the most sense to me. He'll get offers from other teams, and he may consider a couple, but as Tim said, he really likes it here, and I believe he'll be back.
