Potential Pirates Trade Targets: Alec Bohm Could Fix Two Problems at Once
The Pittsburgh Pirates enter the offseason with a number of needs, but upgrading the lineup and left side of the infield help are among the two biggest.
The Pirates finished last in baseball in 2025 in runs scored, home runs and OPS. Of the 27 players to record a plate appearance this past season, only one — Spencer Horwitz (118 OPS+) — was considered above league-average offensively.
At the trade deadline, the Pirates dealt third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds, creating a void on the left side of the infield. With Jared Triolo’s strong finish to the season, he could theoretically man either third base or shortstop for the Pirates until uber-prospect Konnor Griffin is called up for his debut.
But with Griffin knocking at the door to the big leagues, it might make more sense to use Triolo as a stopgap option at shortstop and use the opening at third base to add some offense.
There are some third base options on the free agent market, which I dove into last week. But if the Pirates opt for a trade instead of free agency, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Alec Bohm presents an interesting option.
Bohm has spent six seasons in the big leagues with the Phillies after he was selected with the third pick of the 2018 draft.
Across those six seasons across the Keystone State, Bohm has slashed .279/.328/.415 with 143 doubles, eight triples, 70 home runs and 395 RBI in 719 games.
Rib and shoulder injuries limited Bohm to 120 games in 2025, but the 29-year-old posted a healthy .287 batting average with a .741 OPS. He hit 18 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs and drove in 59 runs.
Though it was a solid yet unspectacular season for Bohm, he’s just one year removed from his first All-Star appearance in 2024. Last season with the Phillies, Bohm hit .280, slugged .448 and registered a .779 OPS with a career-high 44 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, and a career-high-tying 97 RBI.
While Bohm hasn’t exactly emerged as the true middle of the order threat the Phillies had hoped for, he’s provided consistency with a 106 OPS+ over the last four seasons, and the Pirates are in need of someone like that in their lineup.
When it comes to right-handed bats, the Pirates will be looking for players who are capable of hitting the ball to all fields, and Bohm has done that.
Bohm’s defense was a hot topic a couple years ago and not for good reasons. Combined between 2021-22, Bohm made 28 errors — including a league-leading 15 in 2021 — and accounted for minus-29 defensive runs saved.
But he’s shown improvement over the last few years. Bohm was in the 89th-percentile in outs above average with nine in 2024, a year he had zero defensive runs saved and was not in the negative for the first time in his career. This past season, Bohm was minus-two in OAA and minus-three DRS, but committed only five errors with a career-best .981 fielding percentage.
The improvement over the years is enough to warrant adding his bat to the lineup, if only for a year. Bohm is in the final year of arbitration and is projected to earn $10.3 million in 2026 before reaching the open market. It’s a steep price by Pirates’ standards, but one they should feel comfortable paying.
Fortunately for the Pirates, Bohm looks like an obvious trade candidate, and the Phillies could be willing to eat some of his salary to facilitate a trade. Either way, a $10 million salary is not overly egregious.
Should Bohm be the biggest addition to help the offense? No. But the Pirates will need to add multiple bats this winter if they want to propel themselves in the right direction. The addition of Bohm would offer at least one improvement.
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Bohm strikes me as the kind of player that would not cost a lot in a trade, either. He has just one year of control, and has a couple flaws. What do you think it would cost the Pirates in trade capital, Danny?
I see the Cardinals may be shopping Brendan Donovan, too. He can play 3rd base among other positions. He has more control that comes with him. Less expensive money wise, too. I also would kind of rather have a left handed hitting third baseman so that Triolo can handle the short side of the platoon.
I don’t think it would cost an arm and a leg. I don’t think it would cost anything consequential as the Phillies need some salary relief. Donovan is another one I plan on diving into but I doubt the Cardinals would be eager to trade him in the division. Great fit though.
Keller for Bohm??
Looks like he comes with 2 years of control, no?
Nope. He’ll be over six years of service after next season so he’ll be a free agent.
No. This team will win on pitching which puts defense at a higher premium. I know there is a desperate need for offense, but Bohm does not move that needle enough to justify his horrendous defense. It would not be hard to get his slightly above average bat somewhere else with someone who is not defensively challenged for far less than 10 million and more than one year of control. Bohm’s future more than likely is at first base where his bat will not play and a good team.
Fair points. But I think his defense improved enough to where it makes sense if you like the bat enough. But he should not be the “big bat” the Pirates go for this winter.
I live near Philadelphia, so I see a lot of Bohm and he has bad instincts, his erratic throws are saved by others in the infield, and observationally it seems he makes his biggest blunders with me on base. The plus is he might be better in a small market because he is very thin skinned.
I remember hearing at the deadline that the Phillies were enamored with Santana. Would Santana be enough alone to get Bohm?
His stats show he was average at 3rd, not horrendous. and yes a .750ish OPS absolutely is worth it when we were getting 150 points less than that.
I like your thinking!
I dunno about this one. He’s got a good pedigree yet has never really put it all together despite spending half his games in a better hitting environment. He’s basically a league average hitter with below average defense and poor on base skills. I don’t care about his RBI’s because in our lineup he wouldn’t get 97 of them.
I’d say go after one of the Tigers two 3Bmen and use this money on an outfielder, preferably left handed
I like Bohm. Just not Mitch Keller like though. Maybe Hunter Barco level though I doubt that’d be enough for the Phillis and I hate to part with him anyway.