Is a blockbuster trade on the horizon for the Philadelphia Phillies?

Third baseman Alec Bohm has been a popular trade candidate for the Phillies this winter, and there has been lots of reported interest from other teams. While nothing has caught the Phillies’ eye yet, the more talks go down, the more the trade becomes a possibility.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Athletics recently called the Phillies inquiring about Bohm, and Philadelphia countered by asking for All-Star closer Mason Miller, after which the A’s promptly ended the conversation.

Maybe the Phillies should persist, though. Miller could make their bullpen as good in 2025 as it’s ever been, and as valuable as he was to the A’s in 2024, he can’t drag a team to the playoffs by himself. What if Philadelphia added some extra pieces on top of Bohm in a counteroffer?

Recently, Quinn Everts of FanSided spelled out a trade package that could work for the Phillies to land Miller: Bohm, then one of their top-five (but not top-two) prospects, like shortstop Starlyn Caba or outfielder Justin Crawford.

“It would probably start with Bohm,” Everts said. “It sounds like the A’s went to the Phillies instead of vice versa, so there’s interest from Oakland / Sacramento / Vegas / wherever they’re playing.”

“How high up the prospect ladder would Dave Dombrowski need to climb to secure Miller? Aidan Miller and Andrew Painter should be off the table… (but) the next group of prospects like Starlyn Caba and Justin Crawford should be players that Dombrowski is willing to float for a Miller deal.”

Miller had a 2.49 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts in just 65 innings pitched this season. He’s as tough to put in play as any pitcher in baseball, and when you’re trying to nail down a game, it’s best not to leave anything to chance.

Bohm could be a huge boost to the A’s, and they also need to continue re-stocking a farm system that hasn’t had many names to get excited about. A two-for-one swap might be enough to get it done–if the Phillies are willing to risk the value proposition of giving up assets for a closer.