The Phillies find themselves tied with the Mets atop the division early in 2025, but a concerning issue is brewing at the hot corner. All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm is off to a dreadful start, hitting just .158/.172/.175 in his first 57 at-bats.
It’s a continuation of the struggles that led to his postseason benching last year when Philadelphia suffered a quick playoff exit against the Mets. Bohm’s performance and visible frustration sparked trade rumors throughout the winter.
This season was supposed to be a fresh start for the 28-year-old, but things aren’t clicking. As The Athletic’s Matt Gelb put it, 2025 “was supposed to be a rebirth after being benched in the postseason and dangled in trade talks.”
Bohm had been avoiding interviews during his slump, but he finally broke his silence after Saturday’s game against the Cardinals.
“I feel like everything is very, very overanalyzed that I do on the baseball field, from the moment I step on it to the moment I step off it,” Bohm told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Everywhere I turn it’s, ‘Look at your expected numbers. Look at this. Pick your head up. It’s going to be OK.'”
Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp
The combination of persistent struggles and growing frustration doesn’t bode well for Bohm’s long-term future in Philadelphia. He’s making $7.7 million this season with another year of arbitration eligibility in 2026, which means he could still bring back a decent return in a trade if another team believes a change of scenery might help.
The challenge for the Phillies is they don’t have an obvious replacement at third base waiting in the wings. They’re not looking to dump Bohm for pennies on the dollar, especially given his All-Star pedigree.
But if his bat doesn’t wake up by the trade deadline, a parting of ways might be best for everyone involved. The Phillies need production from third base if they want to avoid another early playoff exit, and Bohm might benefit from a fresh start elsewhere.
