Philadelphia Phillies Listed As Potential Landing Spot for Future Hall of Famer

Will the Philadelphia Phillies end up making a switch at the hot corner after all?

Feb 17, 2025; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third base Nolan Arenado (28) takes infield practice at spring training. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have started up Spring Training with high expectations for the upcoming season.

This winter, the Phillies did a nice job of building around their talented core to try and run it back again with the hopes of having a different result than last year.

Coming into the offseason, the Phillies had a couple of notable needs, and due to the frustrating early exit in the playoffs, there was reason to believe they might shake up their core a bit.

One player who was mentioned in trade rumors was third baseman Alec Bohm.

When looking at the entirety of his campaign in 2024, Bohm had an excellent year. He slashed .280/.332/.448 with 15 home runs and 97 RBI. The young slugger was named to his first All-Star thanks to an excellent first half of the season.

Unfortunately, his production slipped in the second half when he slashed just .251/.299/.382 with four home runs and 27 RBI.

The significant drop in his numbers was alarming, and it led to the thought the front office might make an aggressive move for star free agent Alex Bregman or put together a trade for Nolan Arendado.

Neither came to fruition, but just recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report linked Philadelphia to Arenado again as a potential landing spot.

It was certainly a bit of a surprise to see them listed for Arenado, but it could make some sense.

If Bohm performs like he did in the second half of the season, the Phillies will want to try and move on.

A good right-handed hitter is needed for the team to balance out Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in the lineup. They will rely on their All-Star third baseman to produce in 2025, and if he doesn’t, this could be a move they make.

When looking at Arenado, the massive contract is the first thing to consider. Wherever he eventually gets dealt, the St. Louis Cardinals will have to pick up a significant amount of it.

One of the main reasons for that is because of his dip in production at the plate.

Last year, the former All-Star slashed .272.325/.394 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI. It was the first time in his career that his slugging percentage dipped below .400.

Even though he saw a drop in production in 2024, he was a bit better in the second half of the season and was more consistent throughout the year than Bohm.

Ideally for the Phillies, Bohm can perform like he did in the first half of the year throughout the entire campaign.

If that happens, acquiring Arenado wouldn’t be a thought in their minds.

But if Bohm struggles, that opens a door to potentially trading for the future Hall of Famer.