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As hot stove season continues to heat up, there have been a number of theoretical deals that could help both teams involved in them. One such deal, proposed by USA Today's Bob Nightengale in his Sunday column, involves the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies. In this hypothetical deal, the Phillies would send third baseman Alec Bohm to the Houston Astros, possibly for a late-inning reliever.
“The Phillies realize they can’t run it back with the same offense again in 2025,” stated Nightengale in his column. “It can be the most explosive in baseball, but as they’ve learned in the postseason, their lineup can also be awfully easy to navigate for opposing pitchers. Something has got to change, and Bohm easily has the most trade value among Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh and himself. If the Astros lose Alex Bregman in free agency, you can be assured that Phillies president Dave Dombrowski will be immediately on the phone offering Bohm for Astros reliever Ryan Pressly – who’s being extensively shopped.”
Improving the backend of their bullpen is a major focus of the Phillies, who could definitely use an arm like Pressly. However, this deal would be contingent on the Astros losing Bregman, something the team likely does not want to do. Bregman is one of the game's best third basemen, and he's about to be paid like it as well. If he does indeed leave, should the Astros pivot to Bohm? It could be a swap that would benefit them in a few different ways.
Would trading for Alec Bohm help Astros in long term?
Bohm has two more years of club control left until he hits free agency, and the former first round pick has finally started to hit his stride in Philly. Last year, he complied a WAR of 3.0, a career high. He also drove in almost 100 runs (97 for the second straight season) and was a key part of the Phillies lineup. He is valued by the team, but he's also a movable piece. If they can address other slots that are more pressing, they could decide to trade Bohm.
Pressly would add another power arm to the backend of the Philadelphia bullpen, and he could be their next closer. The Phillies have dealt with relief issues for the last few seasons and is one of the big holes they must fill in order to capture another World Series trophy. The Astros could trade him because their current closer is Josh Hader, who signed a big money free agent deal with Houston last offseason.
Once again though, this is all contingent of if Bregman leaves the Space City. He could very well price himself out of returning, as many teams are looking to improve at third base. A long-term deal is definitely in his future. Will the former LSU Tiger man third base for the foreseeable future, or will it be a player like Bohm acquired via trade?
