This Phillies-Brewers trade would address major needs for both teams with All-Star swap

The Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers were both swiftly eliminated from the MLB Postseason — both at the hands of a scrappy New York Mets team. First place in the NL East and NL Central, respectively, the Phillies and Brewers aspire to the World Series, but neither team has been able to muster the necessary performances in October.

That could lead to a mutually beneficial trade. The Phillies need to rework a bullpen that went ice-cold in the playoffs. The Brewers, meanwhile, are preparing to lose Willy Adames in free agency, leaving a major hole in the middle of their lineup.

While there has been a lot of attention paid to potential free agent additions in Philadelphia, GM Dave Dombrowski is also expected to test the trade market. The most commonly cited trade candidate for the Phillies is Alec Bohm, a 2024 All-Star at third base. He's under team control through 2026 and, at 28, there's still plenty of time for Bohm to elevate his game to the next level. It shouldn't be too hard to find interested suitors.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, is expected to float closer Devin Williams in trade talks. Williams is entering the final year of his contract and the Brewers, always on the cheap end of the contending spectrum, won't keep him around long term.

That is the foundation for a potentially fruitful swap, as Jim Bowden of The Athletic lays out.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.

Alec Bohm, Devin Williams swap could pay dividends for both Phillies and Brewers

This trade would ultimately hinge on which prospect the Brewers attach to Williams, but the general premise is rock solid. The Phillies replace the outgoing Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez with one of the National League's most dominant high-leverage relief arms. Milwaukee, on the other hand, prepares for Adames' inevitable departure by adding another top infield bat.

Bohm would easily slot in at third base for the Brewers while Joey Ortiz, in the wake of a promising rookie campaign, takes over for Adames at shortstop. Philadelphia looks to Williams as its everyday closer, coming off a campaign in which he finished with a 1.25 ERA and 0.97 WHIP to go along with 14 saves in 22 appearances. Matt Strahm should be back next season, so Philadelphia would maintain one of the best late-game gauntlets in the NL.

This move opens up manifold potential outcomes for Philadelphia on the free agency front, too. Suddenly the Phillies have an open spot at third base for Alex Bregman or, as Bowden suggests, Willy Adames. That would be a tough pill for Brewers fans to swallow, setting the table for Adames to land with a National League rival, but the mechanics of the trade are sturdy. If Adames ends up in the AL or on a less threatening team, that's even better.

Bohm struggled in the postseason, but his reputation has soured far too much in recent months. He was Philadelphia's most stable bat for long stretches of last season, slashing .280/.332/.448 with 15 home runs and 97 RBI. He's not a home run machine, but Bohm is great at finding the gaps and legging out extra-base hits. His bat-to-ball skills can peak in elite territory, although his meltdown in October is a mild cause for concern.

It's not often that 28-year-old All-Star third basemen are put on the trade block in exchange for a reliever. This has the chance to age well for both sides, but the Brewers profile as obvious winners if Bohm and Ortiz can collectively mask Adames' departure.