Hot Stove: Phillies reportedly interested in Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman

There’s nothing quite like the MLB Hot Stove. As expected, the Phillies are throwing even more fuel to the fire with new reports indicating that Houston Astros’ third baseman Alex Bregman as entered the fold as a target as the offseason heads full-steam into the winter.

ESPN’s Buster Olney ignited the stove Tuesday night, hinting at a bold prediction from a rival evaluator: “The Phillies land Alex Bregman. His swing translates in that park, strong defense, lots of postseason scar tissue,” he posted on X.

ESPN’s Buster Olney on Phillies and Alex Bregman:

The most interesting prediction heard from a rival evaluator: The Phillies land Alex Bregman. His swing translates in that park, strong defense, lots of postseason scar tissue.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 13, 2024

Bregman’s resume speaks for itself—two-time All-Star, two-time World Series champ, and a big-game player. At 30, he’s only a couple of years older than the current third baseman, Alec Bohm, who’s reportedly on the trade block.

Alex Bregman’s expected to land a deal somewhere between 5-7 years, likely in the ballpark of $26-$32 million per season. The Phillies have the budget, and adding Bregman could give them another postseason-tested veteran to boost an already stacked lineup.

Bregman just won the AL Gold Glove at third base and now faces a pivotal decision regarding his future with the Houston Astros. He has until 3 p.m. CT on November 19 to accept or decline the Astros’ $21.05 million qualifying offer for the upcoming season.

I think it’s safe to say that Alex Bregman will decline the offer to pursue a multiyear contract in free agency, so really the next question that Phillies fans would have is if he’s worth parting ways with Alec Bohm.

My answer is yes.

Bregman is battle-tested in the postseason. He was a cornerstone of the Astros’ World Series victories in 2017 and 2022 and continued to play well this past season.

He posted a .260 batting average, a .315 on-base percentage, and a .453 slugging percentage, contributing 26 home runs and 75 RBIs. Notably, from May 9 onward, he achieved an .838 OPS, underscoring his offensive prowess.

The Phillies need to figure out the following:

Do you keep Alec Bohm for another year while he’s still under arbitration and hope that you can fix any “character issues” that have been widely speculated as the reason to have him on the trade block to begin with.

If they do keep Bohm, the Phillies can offer him a qualifying offer and receive a supplemental first round pick- which sounds like the right move in my opinion.

Either that, or you trade Bohm and sign Alex Bregman to a long term contract and avoid playing what could be viewed as a “waiting game” with Bohm.

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