Phillies Urged To Target 'Intriguing' Royals Lefty In Possible Alec Bohm Blockbuster
Are the Kansas City Royals done trading for long-haired National League infielders?
On Friday, the Royals made the biggest trade of the Major League Baseball offseason so far, landing second baseman Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Wiemer from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for starting pitcher Brady Singer.
The trade was the first step towards revamping an offense that offered little protection for superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Next, the Royals could look to put an All-Star on Witt's other side, solidifying their infield for next season.
Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies has been a popular name floated in trade discussions this winter, and according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Kansas City "checked in" on Bohm's availability. But who from the big-league roster could the Phillies be seeking in return?
Matt Grazel of FanSided named left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic as an "intriguing" possible trade piece that the Phillies could target in return for Bohm.
"(Bubic) ended the regular season excellently for the Royals with a 1.50 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP in 11 outings in September. During the postseason, (he) finished with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP in four games," Grazel said.
"While Bubic has more starting experience, he had his best statistics as a reliever. If the Phillies use him out of their bullpen, the 27-year-old gives them more depth if (Jeff) Hoffman and/or (Carlos) Estévez sign elsewhere in free agency."
Bohm, 28, had a .770 OPS and 3.0 bWAR during his All-Star campaign, which tailed off sharply in the second half. Meanwhile, Bubic had a 2.67 ERA and 0.8 bWAR across 29 appearances after returning from injury.
Presumably, it would take much more than Bubic to pry Bohm from the Phillies, even if they're itching to trade him. Even if Bubic is one of the top relievers in the sport next season, he still wouldn't provide the value of an above-average third baseman, which is what Bohm appears to be at a minimum.
But if including Bubic is key in landing Bohm in Kansas City, that could be a step towards some more exciting news for Royals fans.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org