Welcome again to the 2025-26 version of Smash or Pass, wherein we look at potential free agent and commerce targets to find out whether or not the Pink Sox ought to pursue them and what it might take to land them. Subsequent up, a 3rd baseman who might or will not be on the buying and selling block.
Who’s he and the place does he come from?
Alec Bohm is a 29-year-old, right-handed third baseman who was chosen third general by the Phillies within the 2018 MLB draft. He performed for the Falmouth Commodores and excelled within the Cape Cod League throughout faculty at Wichita State.
He made his MLB debut in 2020, had earned the beginning job at third base by the tip of that season, and completed second within the Rookie of the Yr voting. He was a key participant for the Phillies throughout their World Sequence run in 2022, and he hit the a thousandth residence run in World Sequence historical past, which is objectively superior. In 2024, he was an All Star and took part within the House Run Derby.
He’s recognized round Philly as Raffe or Raffy as a result of teammate Bryson Stott as soon as mentioned the six-foot-five man with the reddish hair appears to be like like a giraffe.
He’s ok to have been an All-Star in 2024, and to obtain reward from the likes of Bryce Harper, who saluted his “impact bat” as not too long ago as July 2025. However in 2025, one other phrase that you simply generally noticed related to him is “succesful.” Don’t get me unsuitable; succesful is nothing to sneeze at. We’ve had our share of incapable and that gained’t get the job accomplished. Earlier excessive hopes for his profession have kind of yielded to a way of what-could-have been, as he sits someplace close to league-average in each offensive and defensive stats.
TL;DR, simply give me his 2025 stats
He was good for 1.5 WAR in 2025, with a slash line of .287/.331/.409. He hit 11 HR, with 59 RBI, and stole two bases. Bohm performed 120 video games as a result of he was on the Injured Record with a fractured rib.
Why would he be a great match for the Red Sox?
He’s a right-handed bat, and he performs third base. The Sox are theoretically auditioning gamers for each of these roles. With Alex Bregman’s standing nonetheless up within the air, there are nonetheless vital query marks in our infield for 2026. Signing a 3rd baseman who is kind of common defensively may not be the worst factor on the earth. Barring some other vital strikes by Craig Breslow, it might permit Marcelo Mayer (in concept) to turn into the beginning second baseman, thereby avoiding pretending that David Hamilton, Nick Sogard, or Romy Gonzalez are the solutions there, even on a rotating foundation. (And I must say it once more: Ceddanne Rafaela at second base? NO.) Signing Bohm is likely to be the final piece in offering stability for the Pink Sox infield.
Why wouldn’t he be a great match on the Pink Sox?
Does the story of a young-at-heart, maybe immature, third baseman referred to as Raffy who didn’t fairly dwell as much as potential sound acquainted? That’s why he may not be a great match for the Sox.
There are different causes too. Bohm is a right-handed bat, sure; however he’s no influence bat. His batting common is respectable and his OBP is round league-average. He’s principally a singles man who doesn’t stroll a lot in any respect and doesn’t constantly hit for energy. He hit 18 doubles in 2025; evaluate that to Bregman’s 28 and bear in mind they each frolicked on the IL. Bohm has no pace, so he gained’t flip a single into something extra, or race for residence. Taking a look at his hits spray chart from Baseball Savant, it doesn’t look as if he’ll have the ability to make a lot use of the Inexperienced Monster.
His fielding isn’t terrific; he had -2 Outs Above Common final season. The Sox have mentioned they’ve turned over a brand new leaf almost about protection, so this will not play nicely (no pun meant) with that new philosophy.
His RBI complete dropped from 97 in 2023 and 2024 to only 59 in 2025. A look at Baseball Savant reveals that Bohm considerably dropped off on the plate and within the discipline from his 2024 efficiency, however the query is why. He was out with a rib fracture that in the first place went undiagnosed, and that certainly held him again after his return.
Is a part of the reply to that query in his psychological make-up? Bohm was a part of the group of Phillies gamers referred to as the “daycare” which began out as a option to affectionately embrace the power of a number of younger gamers on a crew stocked with veterans. The nickname maybe hasn’t aged nicely over the previous a number of years, because it’s taken on a way of immaturity and unrealized potential. Harper tried to name an finish to the daycare period, which can have been a manner of making an attempt to steer Bohm and others into embracing a extra veteran state of mind. (At age 29, he’s firmly mid-career.)
He’s recognized to be streaky, slam gear, glare or reply poorly in interviews, and argue or in any other case get offended by calls. He repeatedly slammed his bat into the bat rack after a strikeout (within the first inning, no much less) in 2022 and someway minimize his personal neck within the melee, dripping blood onto his neck and uniform.
Who wants that? He was infamously benched within the 2024 NLDS with Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson calling for various “power” within the lineup. AJ Pierzynski supplied his ideas on Foul Territory on the time, saying that there have been a number of people throughout the group who had bored with Bohm’s schtick.
Folks is likely to be prepared to place up with a petulant famous person, however much less more likely to grit their enamel within the face of moodiness coupled with merely enjoying round league-average. With the notion that Bohm must be “dealt with,” you’ll be able to see how that daycare moniker is likely to be hanging on and why the Phillies have allegedly been seeking to commerce him for over a 12 months.
He might have worn out his welcome with a big a part of the fan base in Philly, judging by quite a few interviews, podcasts, and on-line feedback from “insiders” and followers alike. You’ve received to understand the brevity and wit of commenter RileyIsKing who merely wrote “BOHM” adopted by 4 skull-and-crossbones emojis.
However Philly is Philly, okay? They eat gamers alive and score fourth in MLB when it comes to the “ruthlessness” of their fans. It’s truthful to take something mentioned within the warmth of the second, or on-line, with an enormous grain of salt.
What would it not take to get him?
The primary query is whether or not or not Bohm is on the market. He’s not a free agent and has been signed by the Phillies on a one-year, $10.3M deal earlier than hitting free company subsequent 12 months. Regardless of the brand new deal, the rumor mill has him shifting (for the second offseason in a row, so there’s one other grain of salt). Time will inform.
Earlier in December, ESPN’s Eric Karabell’s thoughts had been broadly repeated: that the Phillies and Pink Sox had been basically good commerce companions because the Pink Sox outfield is loaded, whereas the Phillies want an improve there. He posited Jarren Duran for a package deal that features Bohm. What might the remainder of that package deal entail—prospects? Money?—however I’d prefer to see Craig Breslow ask for a bit extra because it appears to me just like the Phillies want Duran greater than we want Bohm proper now. I’ll return to that “proper now” in a second.
See what occurs when you have got a six-foot-five giraffe enjoying third base. I can’t consider one other infielder who would have been capable of attain that drive.
Move. I consider in modifications of surroundings and second possibilities, however this doesn’t really feel like a match. Any of those causes are ok on their very own: he’s not the massive bat we want, he’s not a defensive improve, and he may deliver down the clubhouse power with outbursts and pouting. Bohm might fill a gap if and when the Pink Sox get to the purpose of contemplating working out Hamilton, Sogard, or Gonzalez at second base—that’s an absolute non-starter for me. If that occurs, I’ll be singing one other tune as a result of some other possibility will probably be an enchancment. Perhaps we are able to circle again to this dialog then.
