Royals Eyeing Phillies' Alec Bohm?

Trade rumors continue to swirl around Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm.

On Tuesday afternoon, MLB.com's Anne Rogers wrote that the Kansas City Royals "have checked in" on the Phillies infielder, as they look to deal pitching for bats.

More from Rogers:

"The Royals have been clear that their priority this offseason is centered around upgrading their offense . . . It's becoming more clear that the way the Royals would like to do that is through a trade.

"According to sources, the Royals have cast a wide net in their search for hitters . . . the Royals and Reds have discussed a swap of righty Brady Singer and infielder Jonathan India.

"Two other players the Royals have checked in on are [Bohm] and Angels outfielder Taylor Ward, according to sources, but nothing has progressed deeply yet."

Bohm makes sense from the Royals' perspective. His production fits KC's stated desire for an impact bat in the middle of their lineup. The 27-year-old All-Star even has quite a following in Kansas City, based on its proximity to both Bohm's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska and Wichita State (where Bohm played college ball).

© Jay Biggerstaff | 2024 Aug 24

But on the Phillies' end, the fit isn't so clear. KC is looking to deal from its impressive starting pitching depth, which includes Singer, Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha. The Royals feel good about some pitchers behind that group, as well.

Singer, 28, posted a 3.71 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP in 2024 while logging career highs in starts (32) and innings pitched (179.2). His career ERA is 4.28.

"You can never have enough good starting pitching," the old saying goes. But the Phillies may be close to testing the limits of that maxim. Barring additional moves, the rotation is crowded: Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Taijuan Walker (I know, I know, but he's still here), and Andy Painter are all in the mix. Plus the Phils continue to show interest in White Sox starter Garrett Crochet.

If the Phillies do trade Bohm for pitching, it would set back their efforts to acquire offense. Bohm's departure would already sting in that respect, as he is one of the team's better contact and situational hitting guys.

An interesting side-note in all of this: in an August Phillies series in Kansas City, Bohm forgot the number of outs in the first inning. "I spoke with him after that happened and told him those things can’t happen,” Thomson said postgame. “And you gotta wake up or we’re gonna do something else.”

"I know that he cares about getting hits and helping the team and he gets frustrated,” Thomson said. “And you can’t take your at-bats out on the field with you."

Bryce 🤝 Alec pic.twitter.com/t0JxMgLMtd

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 25, 2024

Thomson's thoughts that day were some of the earliest and most pointed comments we've heard about Bohm's demeanor and professionalism. And some have identified Bohm's maturity level as one of the reasons the Phils are exploring trading him in the first place. 

A trade to Kansas City could bring Bohm's whole saga full-circle.