Could Philadelphia Phillies Trade Their All-Star to Seattle Mariners for Future Ace?

With trade speculations being thrown around left and right, the Philadelphia Phillies could flip their maligned All-Star to get back a controllable pitching asset who has ace potential.

Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) walks off the field after he pitches against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Globe Life Field / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Nothing has really happened yet for the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason.

They made their decision regarding who to protect ahead of the upcoming Rule 5 Draft by adding three of their star prospects to the 40-man roster, but outside of that, there has been a whole lot more of speculation than action.

Maybe that should have been expected.

Despite the Phillies seemingly being ready to make some eye-catching changes this winter based on how things ended for them the past two years, the contracts their current stars are under makes it hard for them to just overhaul things immediately.

Philadelphia is reportedly meeting with Juan Soto, the player who would completely change the outlook of this franchise going forward for the next decade.

It's not clear exactly where the superstar is leaning right now, but he does have plenty of connections to this Phillies roster that could sway his decision in their favor even if their owner John Middleton thinks he would prefer to stay in New York.

Outside of that recent development, what is really commanding the headlines is their willingness to trade All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm.

Despite putting together the best season of his career, Philadelphia seems to have worn tired of his attitude and lack of maturity, so with some limited options when it comes to making sweeping changes to their roster, the 28-year-old is now viewed as the most likely player to change locations this winter.

Teams around the league are jumping all over that.

The Kansas City Royals reportedly have already reached out regarding his availability as they search for more offense in their infield.

Another team that could have interest in Bohm is the Seattle Mariners.

MLB insider Robert Murry went on the "Foul Territory" podcast and discussed the possibility of the All-Star going out west.

"I do think Bohm makes a lot of sense for Seattle. It wouldn't break the bank at all. It'll take a little bit to get him because he's a really good young player ... (Seattle) is really happy with where their outfield is, but they really want to improve the infield, and if you can get a Bohm type, if you can end up getting another player as well, that can really elevate the offense," he said.

Who might the Phillies want in return?

Instead of loading up on prospects, although that could be part of the return package as well, they likely will be asking for one of the young, rising star pitchers the Mariners have in their rotation.

Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo should all interest Philadelphia, especially with more and more information being reported that Dave Dombrowski and his front office are interested in adding another starter this winter.

Seattle likely doesn't make Kirby available since he projects to be their future ace, and if they plan on competing in 2025, which seems to be the case if they'd make a deal for Bohm, then they would probably want to hold onto Gilbert as well.

That leaves the options between Miller or Woo, and based on Tim Kelley of Bleacher Report believing Woo is the most likely player to be traded by the Mariners this offseason, he could be the featured part of the return package for the Phillies.

If that's the case, this would be a major win for Philadelphia depending on what else they accomplish.

This past year, Woo posted a 2.89 ERA with an ERA+ of 127 across his 22 starts, a figure that could have been even lower based on his xERA being 2.72.

With the Phillies looking for some long-term options in their rotation, adding the 24-year-old who is still in pre-arbitration for two more seasons would give them an affordable starter who can bring immediate impact while also having high upside.