Phillies-Royals Proposed Blockbuster Sends $8M All-Star to KC In 3-Player Swap

Is this the offensive upgrade KC has been searching for?

Oct 11, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; A view of the Phillies logo painted on the field before game three of the NLDS for the 2023 MLB playoffs between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals have lots of work left to do if they want to improve upon their 2024 season.

The Royals improved their win total by 30 games and made it to the playoffs this year, but no one was taking them seriously as a threat before the season. Now, they're a known commodity, and the playoffs also exposed the fact that their roster isn't yet ready to contend with the true World Series threats.

In fairness, the Royals have already been active, signing Michael Wacha to a three-year extension and trading Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds for Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer. But the offense still doesn't look like that of a contender, and it's unlikely Kansas City will be a fit for expensive free-agent bats.

Fortunately, there's still at least one solid bat widely speculated to be available on the trade market who should be a fit for the Royals in terms of a price tag: Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm.

On Friday, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report proposed a deal that would send Bohm to the Royals in exchange for infielder Maikel Garcia and catching prospect Blake Mitchell, widely considered Kansas City's second-best prospect behind 2024 first-round pick Jac Caglianone.

"The Royals have already made a swap for a solid offensive infielder, trading righty Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds for Jonathan India in November," Rymer said.

"This deal would net the Phillies the outfielder they seek, and Melendez would come with real upside by way of his penchant for high exit velocities. Mitchell, meanwhile, would give the Phillies a plan for life after J.T. Realmuto."

From the Royals' perspective, the deal is a fairly safe bet, since Bohm would essentially replace Garcia and Kansas City already has Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermín as solid big-league catchers. The Phillies' side of the deal is where things get trickier.

It's possible the Royals would have to increase their offer to get a Bohm deal across the finish line, and without too much farm system depth, it's uncertain whether they'd do so. But regardless, it's undeniable that upgrading offensively at third base is a goal worth pursuing.

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