Rumors have been plentiful following speculation that the Philadelphia Phillies could be willing to trade third baseman Alec Bohm, according to ESPN insider Jeff Passan.

Anne Rogers, a Kansas City Royals beat writer for MLB.com, wrote that the organization could use a hitter of Bohm’s caliber in the middle of their lineup. According to Rogers, the Royals have reportedly checked on his availability, but nothing has progressed in terms of trade talks.

If trade discussions surrounding Bohm develop between the Royals and the Phillies in the future, who should Philadelphia aim to acquire from Kansas City? Philly’s position groups that need an upgrade are the outfield, the bullpen, and the number five spot in their starting rotation.

Nick Castellanos represents the lone outfielder that Phillies manager Rob Thomson felt comfortable playing every day in 2024. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski mentioned the right fielder and Brandon Marsh as players who will play a role for the organization next season. However, he did not mention what the future holds for Johan Rojas.

Relief setup man Jeff Hoffman and closer Carlos Estévez are free agents, and neither may return to Philadelphia in 2025. If the Phillies do not want to use a reliever already on their roster for one of the late-inning roles, they could add another bullpen pitcher to fill the role via a trade.

Taijuan Walker struggled throughout 2024 and is not guaranteed a spot in the rotation for 2025. The Phillies’ lack of sustained reliability at the end of their starting rotation was a weakness for most of the regular season. The organization could benefit from adding a starter in free agency or trade to boost that part of their roster.

With that in mind, here are three intriguing Royals players the Phillies should target in return for Alec Bohm.

Kris Bubic, LHP

Kris Bubic was a starter for the Royals during the first four years of his career. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and returned to the club as a reliever in July 2024. He finished with an impressive 2.08 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in seven appearances during the month. It was his return to pitching in an MLB game in 15 months.

His performance during August was not as good. He totaled a 4.66 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP in nine relief outings. He allowed 14 hits compared to the previous month’s total of five. He allowed five earned runs during August as opposed to two in July.

He 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, Bubic finished with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP in four games.

He surrendered four hits, one walk, and zero earned runs in his first three contests — two against the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Series and one in the ALDS versus the New York Yankees. Bubic allowed one hit, two walks, and one earned run, taking the loss versus New York in his fourth postseason game.

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 Hoffman and/or Estévez sign elsewhere in free agency.