Phillies already getting a lifeline to escape Alec Bohm purgatory

The Philadelphia Phillies' 2024 season was a tale of two halves. Up until the All-Star break, there was not a better team in baseball. The Phillies checked every box on paper — elite pitching, offensive star-power, and an aggressive front office. After the break, however, Philadelphia's momentum slowly dissipated. It was replaced by a far less pleasant sensation. That of mounting dread.

By season's end, the Phillies were just confusing. For each commanding victory over a division opponent, the Phillies would drop a serious against far inferior competition. Their bats went cold, their All-Star pitching battalion regressed, and the rest of the MLB caught up. As the No. 2 seed in the NLDS, the Phillies never felt like true favorites in a series the New York Mets closed out in five swift, unforgiving games.

Much has been said about what has to change this offseason. The Phillies are expected to go fishing for Juan Soto and other high-profile free agents, but internal tweaks or more marginal adjustments could also prove fruitful. There has been a great deal of trade chatter, too, often centered on All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm.

On the surface, Bohm was great last season. He slashed .280/.332/.448 with 15 home runs and 98 RBI, boasting an impressive 14.2 percent strikeout rate, in the MLB's 92nd percentile. His discipline was a strength for the majority of the campaign, but a late dry spell, which culiminated in a rotten postseason stretch, as Bohm's stock on a downturn.

Now, the suitors are lining up.

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Royals are interested in trading for Phillies All-Star Alec Bohm

The Kansas City Royals appear interested in swapping a pitcher for a hitter, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. Among the players Kansas City has checked in on is Alec Bohm, who would fit quite nicely alongside Bobby Witt Jr. in the Royals infield. While the Phillies are desperate to take that next step and tired of Bohm's notorious autumn slumps, he's the sort of regular season generator an upstart contender like the Royals should covet. Especially if the Phillies are willing to dump Bohm for prospects.

At 28 years old, Bohm should have plenty left in the tank. His best years are ahead of him and the Phillies shouldn't feel any sort of pressure to trade him. That said, with sights set on names like Juan Soto and Alex Bregman, there are inevitable financial sacrifices that are necessary. Trading Bohm opens up a spot in the Phillies lineup, and it could allow Philadelphia to target depth elsewhere — whether it's a fifth rotation arm to replace Taijuan Walker or a more bankable bat in the outfield.

Bohm should generate plenty of interest beyond the Royals. Relatively young, controllable talent with All-Star pedigree doesn't come cheap, especially when the top options on the free agent marketplace, such as Bregman, are demanding absurd contracts. The Royals traditionally aren't major free agent players, so any chance to add established talent of Bohm's caliber should be explored.

As for the Phillies, this only makes sense if trading Bohm leads to improvement elsewhere. There's no incentive to just dumping Bohm; it needs to function as a precursor to a sizable trade or free agent signing. That said, if the Phillies are primed for another aggressive offseason, this report should excite the fandom.