Aggressively Pursuing Alex Bregman Should Be No-Brainer for Philadelphia Phillies

It's time for the Philadelphia Phillies to get ultra-aggressive this offseason and pursue one of the best third baseman in the game.

Aug 5, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) rounds the bases after he hits a solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Things are starting to get exciting for the Philadelphia Phillies on the rumor front.

Despite Alec Bohm putting together the best season of his career, things ended on a sour note towards the end of the year when he got injured and performed poorly in the playoffs that resulted in his benching for one game.

Even though he has loads of talent, the third baseman has been floated as the most likely trade chip this winter if the Phillies are going to overhaul their roster like they are seemingly planning on doing.

Well, there was fuel added to that the fire when it was reported that Philadelphia has put him on the trade block. That could result in them shipping him out of town in exchange for some assets that can either help them win now, or add more top prospects to their pipeline who could subsequently be flipped at a later date.

If the Phillies do decide to trade Bohm, then they will have to fill a hole at third base.

Edmundo Sosa could certainly be the stopgap solution, but he would be a clear downgrade from having the rising star in the lineup, and with Aidan Miller still being a couple years away, Dave Dombrowski and his front office would have to become aggressive to bring in another elite third baseman.

Fortunately, Alex Bregman is on the market as a free agent.

The two-time World Series champion couldn't work out an extension with the Houston Astros prior to this season, so he is now available to all 30 teams this winter as his agent, Scott Boras, looks to get him the contract he deserves.

Bregman has stated he would like to return to the Astros, but if they aren't willing to hand out the megadeal that competes with other offers, then he could go elsewhere.

One rival evaluator thinks that is exactly what is going to happen, predicting Philadelphia will make a play to bring in the elite two-way player.

And that's exactly what the Phillies should do.

Yes, Bohm has been a solid player for them during his career, slashing .277/.327/.416 with a 105 OPS+ and 103 wRC+ that puts him above the league average.

But he pales in comparison to Bregman.

Not only is the Houston star a much better player with his lowest bWAR during a healthy regular season eclipsing the best year that Bohm has ever produced, but he's also a much better hitter with a 132 OPS+ and wRC+ of 135.

This is a no-brainer for Philadelphia if they can get this done.

Sure, Bregman is going to cost a top-of-the-market contract that will definitely put them into the luxury tax penalty for multiple future seasons, and he doesn't upgrade their outfield which is a major need, but he would become a consistent hitter in this lineup who doesn't chase pitches, the main thing that has plagued the Phillies during their early playoff exits.

If they can trade Bohm and sign Bregman, this roster would already be that much better.

Dombrowski is known to be aggressive when he thinks his team can win a World Series, and based on the way things have ended the past two years, major changes are needed to get this group back into the Fall Classic.

Bregman would be the move that does just that.