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Could This Phillies Trade Proposal Come to Fruition?
It's that time in the offseason when trade rumors begin flying and that is especially so right now as baseball mires in a lockout. As such, Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently took trade proposals from readers and evaluated them in his latest column (subscription required).
The Phillies trade proposal had third baseman Alec Bohm and Inside the Phillies #5 prospect pitcher Andrew Painter go to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for third baseman Matt Chapman and outfielder Ramón Laureano.
Bohm was expected to be the everyday third baseman heading into the 2021 season. His rookie campaign in 2020, coupled with his performances in the minors, gave promise to his prospects. However, after an abysmal season in the field and a lackluster .247/.305/.342 slashline with just 7 home runs in 380 at bats, Bohm was demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in August.
Painter was Philadelphia's first pick in the 2021 MLB draft, and has already begun to show why the Phillies drafted him so high. He threw only six innings in Rookie ball this past season, but he struck out 12 and didn't allow a single run. It's a small sample size for Painter, but his stock is high and rising.
Oakland on the other hand is looking to offload payroll this offseason. The lockout has prevented that happening thus far, but one can imagine the firesale that will occur as soon as a new CBA is ratified.
Chapman is perhaps the best defensive third baseman in the American League, if not all of baseball. He struggled at the plate in 2021, slashing .210/.314/.403, but he did hit 27 home runs. Since his 2018 season, he has declined steadily at the plate but maintains 30 home run power. He would be a clear upgrade at the position for the Phillies, especially given their defensive woes on the left side of the infield in recent seasons.
Laureano would also be a nice fit for Philadelphia in centerfield. He is an excellent fielder with a cannon for an arm. The centerfielder is also adept at the plate, he hit .246/.317/.443 in 2021. Of course, Laureano's issue is staying on the field; he has played more than 100 games in a season only once in his career. In 2019 Laureano featured in 123 games. Naturally that was his best season to date. He is due for offseason surgery and is slated to miss time with a PED suspension.
The Phillies are in win-now mode with Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola all in their primes. Solidifying two of the biggest holes on the roster by giving up Bohm and a young, albeit promising prospect, would help take Philadelphia to the next level.
It may even end the postseason drought.
More From SI's Inside The Phillies:
- Could These 2021 Phillies be Hall of Famers?
- The Best, Worst, and Most Likely Case for the Phillies' Top Six Prospects
- Phillies Sign a Slew of International Amateur Free Agents
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