Phillies Reportedly Made Former All-Star Available Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies could not find a taker for a former All-Star ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

May 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting hats and gloves sit on the bench against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies were incredibly active ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3, completing four different trades.

Their lineup was boosted with the addition of Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants, along with their bullpen, as they also added right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian in the deal. Further bolstering the bullpen was the acquisition of left-handed reliever Brooks Raley from the New York Mets.

Minor league depth was shaken up with Seth Johnson being traded to the Athletics for outfielder Colby Thomas. Also, Nolan Hoffman, who was designated for assignment, was traded to the Kansas City Royals for Manuel Colon.

While those were all the completed deals, there is one player who was involved in trade negotiations that didn’t end up being on the move: Alec Bohm. As shared by Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required), the Phillies were shopping him ahead of the deadline, but no deal came to fruition.

Phillies explored trading Alec Bohm ahead of deadline

Aug 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) hits an RBI sacrifice fly against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“They have floated Bohm in trade talks over the past two winters. The Phillies explored trading him again, said several league sources granted anonymity for their candor, in the days leading up to Monday’s deadline,” Gelb wrote.

In the midst of an unproductive campaign, it comes as no surprise that Philadelphia was discussing a trade involving Bohm. He has been the subject of trade rumors for a while, but it would be hard to envision any team being willing to take on the remainder of his contract.

Also, had the Phillies been able to trade him, it would have cleared a newly created logjam in the infield.

Now, Philadelphia is set to deploy him as their starting first baseman. With the arrival of Arraez, who will be starting at second base, Bryson Stott, the incumbent at the keystone, is moving over to third base.

Alec Bohm's starting spot could be in jeopardy

Aug 2, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) hits a single against the Baltimore Orioles during the fourth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That is where Bohm has been playing mostly, but he will flip over to the other side of the diamond, with Bryce Harper heading out to right field for the first time in four years.

It is a major change to what is already one of the worst defensive teams in baseball. A major risk is being taken by having Harper patrol right field with regularity, since it's a different kind of wear and tear on his body.

Bohm is going to continue getting opportunities in the starting lineup despite his struggles. At some point, interim manager Don Mattingly will have to consider a change because the team is receiving better production from Derek Hill and Bryan De La Cruz, who are in platoons in the outfield.

One of them could certainly handle more reps in right field with Harper sticking at first base and Bohm moving to the bench.

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