The Philadelphia Phillies agreed to contracts with six players at the arbitration filing deadline, avoiding salary arbitration. Among them was third baseman Alec Bohm who agreed to a $7.7 million deal for 2025, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. Bohm has two years remaining under team control until he’s eligible for free agency in 2027.
Bohm has had a roller coaster experience in Philadelphia, but coming off his first All-Star appearance looks to build towards a stronger 2025. Bohm is still in his prime at 28 so if he continues to improve, he can be a huge asset for the Phillies lineup next season, per Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). The Phillies haven’t approached him with an extension yet so it’s a predicament with rising talent in the minors ready to man the helm.
Bohm had a career year in 2024, hitting .280 with 15 home runs, 97 RBI and a .779 OPS. His first All-Star season provided thump for the Phillies, but will continue to put pressure on the club to decide Bohm’s fit on the team moving forward. Avoiding arbitration is a positive, but the rise of shortstop Aidan Miller (Phillies’ No. 1 prospect) complicates things exponentially. Ever since the Phillies picked him at No. 27 in the 2023 Draft, Miller has been tearing up the minor leagues with an .811 OPS in two seasons in a quest toward a possible MLB debut in 2026.
Miller’s main position is shortstop, the same as Trea Turner. With the current back and forth of Bohm’s trade value, the Phillies could deal Bohm and have Miller switch positions to eventually man the hot corner. If Bohm stays, however, the left side of the infield will be log-jammed with Turner under contract through 2033. Turner could be moved to the outfield as an alternative but he hasn’t played the position since 2016.
The Phillies are stuck right now between a potentially costly Bohm extension and fitting a rising star in Miller somewhere on the field. Something has to give, and with maintaining a top payroll, the Phillies need to make up their mind soon before Bohm’s agent, Scott Boras, starts pulling the strings.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has stuck to his belief that this club is built to win. They can win with who they have, but if Miller continues to play the way he is, he’ll be fighting for a roster spot of his own sooner rather than later. The Phillies will have to get creative if Bohm stays in Philadelphia for the next two years, but how creative will they get if Miller proves he’s the next star for the Phillies?
