Phillies Can Retain Alec Bohm Based on Projected Salary Comp

The Philadelphia Phillies may not have to break the bank to bring back Alec Bohm.

Sep 18, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Alec Bohm (28) during the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies have a few players from their 2026 team who are hitting free agency this winter.

It will be interesting to see which players are brought back. Some of them have been with the franchise for multiple seasons, such as left-handed pitcher Jose Alvarado. Others are recent acquisitions, like second baseman Luis Arraez and left-handed reliever Brooks Raley.

The player for whom the team will have the toughest decision to make is corner infielder Alec Bohm. Drafted in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft, No. 3 overall, out of Wichita State University, Bohm has been a fixture in the Phillies’ lineup for years.

The runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2020, Bohm has been a reliable source of run production in the middle of the team’s lineup, recording 72+ RBI in four out of the last five seasons.

Alec Bohm comped to Josh Bell for free agent contract

Sep 22, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA;Minnesota Twins designated hitter Josh Bell (56) reacts after striking out against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are certainly pros to keeping a player of Bohm’s caliber, but there are cons to his profile as well. It makes forecasting a contract for him difficult, but Mark Feinsand of MLB.com gave it a shot in a recent article.

In recent years, free agency has included several star players at the hot corner. Bohm isn’t in that tier of player, but a multi-year deal is something that Feinsand believes he should still be able to land this winter.

“Finding a good comp for Bohm was tricky, as the third basemen to hit the free-agent market in recent years have mostly been stars such as Machado, Anthony Rendon and Alex Bregman, all of whom landed nine-figure deals. For Bohm, a deal to look at might be Josh Bell, who posted similar counting stats (17 homers, 71 RBIs) in his 2022 platform season before signing a two-year, $30 million contract with the Guardians,” he wrote.

$15 million annually seems like a fair price for Bohm given the current market for players of his type. He offers more defensive versatility than Josh Bell did, who was mostly a designated hitter and first baseman when he signed that deal; Bohm has shown he is capable of playing first base and third base.

The Alec Bohm era in Philadelphia might not be over just yet.@RAJr_20 and @JimSalisbury215 explain why a qualifying offer and a top prospect’s timeline could align perfectly. pic.twitter.com/oXyDqietl2

— The Phillies Show (@ThePhilliesShow) October 20, 2026

His defensive metrics aren’t very strong at either spot, but that kind of versatility has some value. A multi-year deal certainly feels realistic, especially with how strongly he finished the 2026 season and how he performed in the postseason.

After a historically poor start to the campaign, Bohm got back on track. In the second half, he was the most consistent hitter on the team with a .298/.369/.425 slash line with four home runs, 15 doubles, one triple and 41 RBI. He drew nearly as many walks in 225 second-half plate appearances, 23, as he did in 374 first-half plate appearances, 25.

It will be interesting to see if Bohm receives a qualifying offer from the franchise or not. If he does, accepting would make a lot of sense, with the one-year deal being worth $23.15 million, as he wants to be back.

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