By Jackson RobertsShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberWill the Philadelphia Phillies make two splashy signings this winter?
Obviously, bringing back designated hitter Kyle Schwarber after he hit 56 home runs this past season is a top objective for this Phillies team. But there's a strong case to be made that other big moves are necessary to push the Phillies over the hump in the National League after four years of increasingly upsetting playoff losses.
If the Phillies are going to replace any of their regulars, third baseman Alec Bohm looks to be near the top of the chopping block. He's now a year and a half removed from his lone All-Star appearance, and has been about a replacement-level player in the 200-plus games he's appeared in during that stretch.
...On Monday, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted that the Phillies would trade Bohm -- and fill his spot with three-time All-Star Alex Bregman, who opted out of the last two years on his contract with the Boston Red Sox at the beginning of this month.
"Third baseman Alec Bohm was a non-tender candidate, and while he was ultimately tendered a contract, he could still be a trade chip after some rumblings he could be moved last winter," wrote Reuter. "Moving him would open the door for a run at Alex Bregman, whose ability to make a major impact in 2026 fits the team's closing window of contention."
Bregman had a bit of a second-half slide this year, and he returned quickly from a quad strain suffered at the end of May, taking just seven weeks to heal instead of the possible 12 that could have brought him closer to full health. But with all that said, he had a more-than-respectable .821 OPS on the year, and he's only a season removed from his first Gold Glove at the hot corner.
As for where Bohm might be headed under such conditions, Reuter predicted that the Los Angeles Angels would take him on as an alternative to the always-injured Anthony Rendon, whose seven-year contract mercifully expires at the end of next season.
The only real argument against the Phillies acquiring Bregman is the money it would take. The Athletic projects the 31-year-old for a six-year, $171 million contract, which would put the Phillies comfortably in the highest luxury tax penalty range (60% surcharge on anything over $304 million for the upcoming season) for the foreseeable future.
It's an ownership decision to allow two signings of the magnitude of Bregman and Schwarber. Will Phillies principal owner John Middleton greenlight such a flashy offseason?
More MLB: Mets Blockbuster Trade Idea Lands Brewers All-Star in 3-Player Swap
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