The early reviews out of Philadelphia Phillies spring training are positive. Justin Crawford's first at-bat was a double with home run type power off the wall in left-center. Their core pitchers are all performing well in live B.P. and bullpen sessions. Bryce Harper even claims to have buried the hatchet with Dave Dombrowski after some rather public offseason beef.
That said, in order to avoid running back last season's good-not-great team, the Phillies need to consider a few last-minute tweaks before Opening Day. Here are four trade candidates worth monitoring.
Zach Pop, RHP
Zach Pop arrives in Philadelphia with a career -0.6 fWAR and 4.88 ERA. The 29-year-old inked a Major League contract and is out of options, so in theory, he's front of line to claim a low-leverage bullpen spot. As the Phillies take stock of their options, however, it should become clear that Pop is not their best option.
Philadelphia has a few prospects knocking on the door, such as Zach McCambley, Yoniel Curet and Alex McFarlane. There is also Kyle Backhus, the sidearm sinkerballer whose soft contact metrics last season were quite solid. He arrived via trade with Arizona and occupies the 40-man roster already. He would also give the Phillies a third lefty in the bullpen next to Tanner Banks and José Alvarado, which is helpful.
Pop puts some zip on his sinker and tends to generate consistent groundball contact, but his command is offset by a dire lack of strikeout stuff and a tendency to get hammered hard. The 29-year-old may be more of a cut candidate than a trade candidate, to be frank, but the Phillies just have better options than the guy with a combined 6.88 ERA over his last three MLB seasons.
Johan Rojas, OF
Johan Rojas has played in 250 games over the last three years for the Phillies. He received every opportunity to claim the starting job in center field, but he could never find his swing at the Major League level. Rojas wound up back in Triple-A last season, replaced by Harrison Bader at the deadline, after posting a career-worst .569 OPS and 57 OPS+ across 172 plate appearances.
As things sit, Rojas is probably the Phillies' fourth outfielder on Opening Day. His defense remains an incredibly valuable tool, and even at 25 years old, Rojas has seniority over most alternative options. That said, after another quiet offseason, the Phillies' lineup feels as fragile as ever. That means it's harder and harder to justify keeping a total offensive zero on the 26-man roster, and another demotion to Lehigh Valley feels pointless. Rojas didn't really hit well in Triple-A last season either.
Philadelphia has few proven options here, but Brandon Marsh and soon-to-be rookie Justin Crawford can both handle center field as needed. Otto Kemp will spend time in left field, while 24-year-old lefty Gabriel Rincones Jr. — Philadelphia's No. 9 prospect, per MLB Pipeline — put up an .800 OPS in Lehigh Valley last season and is knocking on the door. He's more of a corner outfielder, but Rincones has some speed (21 stolen bases) and range. Even if the Phillies probably prefer a righty alternative to Marsh and Crawford, Rojas does not provide a single matchup advantage. The lefty-righty splits don't paint him as a serious player.
Garrett Stubbs, C
Both Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán are out of options, which leaves the Phillies with a difficult decision at backup catcher. JT Realmuto will continue to soak up the majority of reps behind home plate, but he's also 34, with a lot of miles on the odometer. The Phillies need to maximize their backup catcher at-bats as much as possible.
Neither option is ideal in that sense, as both Marchán and Stubbs are wholly unproven MLB hitters. Stubbs is 32, however — almost six years older than Marchán. He also has one year less of club control. The Phillies need to trade or cut one of them, and while the gap is thin, Marchán's youth and marginally superior offensive profile take the cake. He's only one year removed from a flashy, if unsustained 17-game run in 2024, which saw him post an .894 OPS and crank three home runs. There's a sense of untapped potential with Marchán that simply does not exist with Stubbs.
Stubbs is a great locker room guy and every team needs depth behind home plate, but his Phillies tenure ought to end within the next month.
Alec Bohm, 3B
Alec Bohm is the Phillies' projected cleanup hitter, so the odds of him actually getting dealt before Opening Day are slim. That does not mean it isn't the correct move. Philadelphia has only receded in October over the last few years with this core. Bohm's résumé in clutch situations is highly suspect. He's also on an expiring contract. This will be Philadelphia's last real chance to recoup value in a trade.
In all fairness to Bohm, he's a perfectly solid MLB player. He puts the bat on the ball, hits for average, and was an All-Star just two years ago, lest we forget. But his mental fortitude under pressure is questionable at best. He does not provide the slug this lineup needs, nor is he helpful in the field. Bohm is a one-tool contributor most of the time, and even that tool can wane when it's least convenient.
If the Phillies want to change something at the foundation of this team, the easiest way is to trade Bohm. There are a couple pathways to replacing him. Philadelphia can call up Aidan Miller, their top positional prospect, and hope his incredible five-tool skill set translates on day one. Or the Phillies can look for upgrades on the trade front, with Houston's Isaac Paredes emerging as the obvious target.