Stay or Go: Should the Phillies move on from Alec Bohm?

Following an All-Star first half and a cold finish to the 2024 season for Alec Bohm, this year was a prove-it opportunity for the third baseman. His name was in trade talks last winter, but he remained in Philadelphia for 2025. He had a chance to show that his slow second half was a fluke and that he could produce like the doubles machine he was in the earlier parts of the year before.

The actual results were somewhere in the middle.

Despite a poor first month at the plate, Bohm did significantly improve on the .681 OPS he had after the 2024 All-Star break. But his extra-base production slipped this year. He missed some time due to injury. Bohm had 44 doubles in 143 games in 2024 and 32 total extra-base hits in 120 games this season. His OPS dropped from .779 to .741.

While Bohm might have been miscast as a middle-of-the-order hitter by the Phillies, he was still an overall productive player. But should they move on before his final year of arbitration in 2026 and look to find a more impactful bat, or should the team ride out one more season of Bohm and look to make upgrades elsewhere?

Read what our writers had to say, then vote in our poll below.

Previous editions of Stay or Go:

• Harrison Bader
• J.T. Realmuto
• Max Kepler
• Kyle Schwarber
• Ranger Suárez
• Nick Castellanos
• Orion Kerkering
• Taijuan Walker

Destiny Lugardo — Site Director — Go

It would be surprising if the Phillies non-tender Bohm. But it feels like 2026 is the year where the Phillies need to get serious about finding a right-handed power bat. Out of three arbitration-eligible starting position players, Bohm, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh, he is probably the most likely to go if the Phillies need to make room for said power bat. They are more likely to find more thump in the infield rather than the outfield. Bohm is an above-average starting third baseman, so the Phillies probably wouldn’t mind keeping him for his walk year. But if there’s an opportunity for an upgrade, Bohm is probably the most expendable. 

Ty Daubert — Editorial Director — Go

The Phillies could really use a right-handed bat with more pop than Bohm’s. That might not be easy to find — at least not for cheap. But if the club has the opportunity to trade Bohm and acquire a third baseman that better fits the mold of a cleanup or No. 5 hitter, such as Alex Bregman or Eugenio Suárez, it should do so. The Phillies should not move on from Bohm without having an external replacement in mind, as prospect Aidan Miller would probably not be ready for the job yet and Edmundo Sosa or Otto Kemp would likely be overexposed in an everyday role. They should, however, be open to paying up for a power-hitting third baseman and swapping Bohm for help in a different area of need.

Bailey Digh — Staff Writer — Stay

Who replaces Bohm if he’s traded or non-tendered? An expensive, aging free agent? I’m not sure I’d go that route since I’d keep two guys that fit that mold in Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto. Edmundo Sosa is not a full-time guy. Neither is Otto Kemp. Aidan Miller feels like a long shot for the 2026 Opening Day roster. I wouldn’t create a hole – trading Bohm for an outfielder – to fill one, either. I’m not sure there’d be a real upgrade to the lineup that way; Bohm would net a similar player in return. This is more of a “I don’t really know if there’s a better option” decision over a “This guy makes a lot of sense to keep” decision.

Nathan Ackerman — Staff Writer — Go

This question comes up every year, and the answer is always two more questions: “Who’s the alternative?” and “How will they pay him?” They’ve been fair questions, but this time, they have better answers. Alex Bregman is one; so could be Aidan Miller after not too long (with viable internal options to fill the space for a bit), and there’s some money coming off the books. In his final year of arbitration, Bohm will get a raise that MLB Trade Rumors projects will net him $10.3 million. It’s not an exorbitant price for a fine player. It’s also not a bargain. The Phillies need more impact. Third base is one place to find it.