Why All-Star Alec Bohm makes so much sense as Mariners trade target

It’s no secret the Seattle Mariners are looking to add multiple infielders by trade or free agency this offseason. Would Philadelphia Phillies All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm, who reportedly is on the trading block, be a good fit?

Two potential Seattle Mariners infield trade targets to watch

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi said the 27 year could be “really good” for the Mariners, but stressed the importance of looking beyond the numbers during his weekly appearance on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.

“The one thing about Alec potentially power-wise, how much has that been influenced by the ballpark in Philly?” Morosi asked Wednesday, speaking to guest hosts Mike Lefko, a Mariners pregame/postgame show host, and Gary Hill, a Mariners broadcaster and host of the official Mariners podcast.

Bohm, who is projected to earn $8 million dollars in his second year of arbitration in 2025, slashed .280/.332/.448 for a .779 OPS with 15 home runs and a strikeout rate of just 14.2% this year. Why would the Phillies want to trade him? They themselves appear to be looking for an upgrade, as they have been linked to Alex Bregman in free agency. Morosi pointed to another potential reason, this one coming from MLB on FOX broadcaster and former MLB catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who said this week on his podcast, “There are some people around that organization that aren’t huge fans of the way he acts sometimes.”

Should that make the Mariners concerned?

“A.J. said that maybe there’s some maturing that has to happen for him,” Morosi said. “We know that from a from a psychological approach and standpoint, it can be tough for some players to move from a very hitter-friendly environment like Philly to more of a pitcher-friendly environment like Seattle. Does that maybe change the way he approaches his craft? Is he more comfortable with a bit of a lower home run total and more gap to gap? We’ll see.”

There is due diligence to be done, but ultimately Morosi believes the payoff could be worth it for Seattle.

“The run production is undeniable,” Morosi said. “I think there’s a lot there. And maybe he gets to even higher levels of performance if he gets a change of scenery, but the general conversation around him? I’m sure the Mariners would want to check into that and see exactly what those reasons are and why, as A.J. was saying, there is a belief that he has to mature a little bit, what that exactly means. But I think if they’re having a hard time attracting a major free agent bat or meeting the price tag for those free agent bats, I do think if Bohm is available, in general, there are some fundamental underlying reasons to believe that Alec Bohm and the Mariners is a more plausible trade fit than a lot of other ones that have been floated out there.”

What about free agency?

As for a potential addition where due diligence has already been done, Morosi wouldn’t be opposed to the Mariners bringing back Justin Turner – provided he is not the only bat they add.

“I think he would be a really good part of a collective offseason plan,” Morosi said. “Whether he’s the third most important bat that they get, you also need Julio (Rodríguez) to be Julio, and if you feel Justin can help Julio get there – and certainly he can still give a lot of value in his own right, he had a similar role with Toronto when he came in there to help Bo (Bichette) and (Vladimir Guerreo Jr.). Certainly the the Jays had some mixed results, but in general Justin’s professionalism carries the day and I think he’d be a tremendous addition for the Mariners to be able to retain him.”

Related: Justin Turner proved Mariners need his veteran presence back

Morosi pointed to free agents Christian Walker and Pete Alonso if the market came back to the Mariners as the type of additions he sees the team needing to make. He would like to see them “get creative” in finding ways to get a deal done for a “truly difference-making”  player. He sees second base as a position that shouldn’t be as challenging to fill. He suggests Gleyber Torres, a two-time All-Star and first-time free agent after seven seasons with the Yankees, could be a good fit and said there should be plenty of others, as well.

“This may be a bold statement to make on Nov. 13, but I I’m quite sure the Mariners’ opening day second baseman is not on their roster right now,” Morosi said. “It will be someone from the outside. There’s too much availability right now at that position and the Mariners’ needs there are too clear for me that they would not make a move. It’s been a bit of a revolving door for a lot of reasons there and I think that Gleyber took a big step forward. Yes, he benefited a lot from from hitting at Yankee Stadium, but he’s got good power to right field, and the ball in Seattle carries better to right than the left.

“Hye-Seong Kim coming over (from Korea’s KBO), Ha-Seong Kim (is a free agent) as well. There’s a lot of possibilities for the Mariners at second base who are not on their roster right now, and I feel much more than 50-50 confident the Mariners will add one of those bats between now and opening day.”

Hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation with MLB Network insider Jon Morosi in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Catch Wyman and Bob from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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