Phillies Mentioned As 'Obvious Fit' for Red Sox Superstar in Free Agency

Could the Philadelphia Phillies go big game hunting in free agency this winter?

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The Philadelphia Phillies are legitimate World Series contenders this season, thanks in large part to the additions that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made ahead of the MLB trade deadline to address some of the weaknesses on the roster.

He laid out exactly what he was looking for on the trade market: some outfield help and a closer. Both were addressed, with two trades being made with the Minnesota Twins, acquiring center fielder Harrison Bader and closer Jhoan Duran. Veteran David Robertson was also signed in free agency.

Never one to shy away from making a big move, Dombrowski said that he would do everything he could to fix the relief pitching problem, taking the onus on himself for how things were handled over the winter with Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez departing and not being replaced appropriately.

The focus now will be on getting over the hump in the postseason and bringing home that elusive title. There is certainly enough talent on this roster to make that happen, anchored by a dominant starting rotation.

While all of the players and coaches look to get the job done on the field, off the field, Dombrowski and his staff are assuredly preparing their offseason plans. It is never too early to get started, especially with some of the tough decisions the Phillies are going to have to make.

Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto are both free agents. The same goes for starting pitcher Ranger Suarez and relief pitcher Jose Alvarado could also hit the market depending on what the team does with the team option.

That could be a lot of money coming off the books and Dombrowski has shown in the past he will aggressively pursue high-priced free agents if he believes they fit what the team is looking for and will improve their odds of winning a championship.

Alex Bregman would be a great fit for Phillies in free agency

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One player to keep an eye on this winter is third baseman Alex Bregman, whom Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) has mentioned is an “obvious fit” for Philadelphia, along with several other contenders.

The former MLB executive also mentions the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and the New York Mets as other fits. Don’t count out the Boston Red Sox either.

Bowden noted the Red Sox seem like his preferred choice in free agency, as it feels like a foregone conclusion that he will opt out of his current contract and hit the open market for a second consecutive year.

Bregman has certainly put himself in a position to land the long-term, lucrative deal he seeks, with a quad injury being the only thing that has held him back in 2025. It limited him to only 76 games played through Aug. 14 but he has been incredibly productive when on the field.

He has a .299/.379/.542 slash line with an OPS+ of 153, which would be the second highest of his career. 16 home runs and 22 doubles have been hit in 327 plate appearances to go with 50 RBI.

His strikeout rate remains well below average at 15.9% and his walk rate is heading in the right direction at 9.5% after a down 2024 when it sat at a career-low 6.9%, the first time it was in single-digits since 2017.

Bregman remains one of the most prolific offensive-performing third basemen in baseball and would be a sizable upgrade over what Philadelphia has received from Alec Bohm at the hot corner this year.