by Phillies Rumors Roundup: Bohm, Crochet, Soto and More originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The first big free agent name was taken off the board Tuesday night as Blake Snell agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers that includes carryovers in the $60 million range, according to several reports.
Snell was considered one of the top free agents in this year’s class, alongside outfielder Juan Soto, infielders Alex Bregman and Willy Adames and pitchers Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.
The Phillies have expressed interest in Soto, although they don’t expect to be the favorite in a competitive race. Soto has reportedly already met with five teams: the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox and Blue Jays.
It could cost $600 million. It could cost more. The Yankees are desperate to keep Soto and should do so after observing his transformative ability closely for a year. They also want to avoid the double dose of humiliation of losing him to the Mets. The Mets, meanwhile, have the richest owner in baseball and a clear desire to continue spending.
It’s just hard to see any team surpassing an offer made by the New York teams.
What else is happening in Phillies country less than two weeks before the Winter Meetings?
Bohm Rumors
Alec Bohm’s name has been circulating in rumors since the week following the end of the Phillies season. He didn’t hit the entire stretch and was benched in Game 2 of the NLDS, a response to his poor play and more sulking on the field than they would have liked to see.
The free agent market doesn’t offer many ideal positions for the Phillies because after Soto, the best outfielders available are more complementary pieces or players like Anthony Santander, whose value can be inflated by a career year he may not be able to reproduce.
That’s why you’ve already heard so much this offseason about the Phillies’ need to explore trades. Improving might not — and probably won’t — be about making two or three decent-sized signings. This will likely involve giving up one pillar to gain value in another area.
Bohm, 28 and with two more years of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent, appealed. He’s coming off a season in which he hit .280 with 44 doubles, 15 homers and 97 RBIs, barely missing 100 two years in a row. He started at third base in the National League in the 2024 All-Star Game, which is sure to be mentioned prominently in an acquiring team’s press release if he is traded. He has an attractive offensive skill set with a swing and approach geared toward line drives and using the entire court.
These are qualities the Phillies want to prioritize heading into 2025, so it’s telling that they’re still considering a Bohm trade. This indicates that they do not believe that it can maintain its current level of production for another 5-7 years, that they feel that the current level of production is not entirely sufficient, or that they simply think that it is their most attractive commercial asset. It’s probably all of the above.
Bohm also plays a position, third base, that the Phillies could improve on this winter. If they were to trade Bohm for a comparable player at a different position and replace him with an even better third baseman…well, that’s an improvement. Alex Bregman is a free agent. The same goes for Willy Adames, who is willing to move out of shortstop if necessary. Adames, like Santander, is coming off a career year that the team can’t be sure of repeating.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Phillies have discussed with the Chicago White Sox a trade of Bohm and top outfield prospect Justin Crawford for ascending left-handed starter Garrett Crochet. According to this report, the White Sox expressed reservations due to Bohm’s decline in the second half.
It would certainly be an interesting way to shake things up. Hook, 25, emerged last season by striking out an absurd 209 batters in 146 innings for the worst team in baseball history. In 32 starts, he pitched to a 3.58 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He was on an innings limit because he was well above his previous career high.
Crochet is in the same spot contractually as Bohm, heading into the second of three arbitration years before becoming a free agent after 2026. The Phillies pursued Crochet at this year’s trade deadline, but were unable to find agree with the White Sox. They clearly believe that he actually exists and will be able to maintain this level of dominance in the future.
What if they landed at the Hook?
You would think that if the Phillies end up acquiring Hook, they would pivot and acquire Ranger Suarez. There have already been rumors this offseason that the Phillies are hanging Suarez, who, like Bohm, was one of the National League’s most productive players in the first half but fell off sharply in the second half.
Suarez has one year left on his contract and is a free agent after 2025, which would certainly affect any return in a trade.
High-end starting pitching would be last on the Phillies’ list of real needs since that’s their biggest strength, but if they acquire Hook, they would be protecting themselves against losing Suarez for nothing. And as popular as Suarez is here, Hook might be the best bet over the next five years given Suarez’s reliance on precise command.
This is shaping up to be the Phillies’ most intriguing offseason in years. The Winter Meetings, which are typically a hotbed of activity, take place Dec. 9-12 in Dallas.
Soto’s situation could slow everything down, however. Agents know that teams after him that don’t sign him will still need offense and have money to spend. And teams willing to trade might also be better served by waiting for Soto to sign in hopes of adding the suitors he leaves behind.
