Salk: No thanks on a Mariners trade for 3B Alec Bohm

Dec 4, 2024, 9:42 AM

Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies throws to first against the Mets in the 2024 NLDS. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

(Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

Host, Brock & Salk (6-10 a.m.)

With the winter meetings next week, the Seattle Mariners still have a lot to do. Even if you believe that their six-week surge of offensive production at the end of the season was real, attributable to the change in coaching and repeatable in 2025, the team still has multiple needs.

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Justin Turner, Jorge Polanco and Josh Rojas played in most of those games and are now free agents. The bullpen needs reinforcements. And that is before any kind of talk of upgrading at shortstop or dealing a starting pitcher for serious offense.

The team needs, at the very least, two infielders and relief pitching. But they could really use as many as four new bats to avoid relying on either side of the Mitchwich as regular designated hitter options.

A look at the roster makes third base the most obvious need. Shortstop J.P. Crawford could bounce back. Dylan Moore could share second base with a combination of younger options like Ryan Bliss or maybe even Cole Young. Luke Raley could platoon with Tyler Locklear at first base, or maybe we could see one of the Mitches play there on occasion. Let me be clear, none of those options are particularly appetizing, but the team could probably get by trying one of those scenarios – again, one of those scenarios, not all of them.

No matter how you slice it, however, it’s hard to see how to build this roster without acquiring a third baseman. Which, I assume, is why so many in the industry have connected the dots and predicted the Mariners and Phillies will get together on a deal for Alec Bohm. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal even called Bohm an “obvious target” for the Mariners in a recent column.

My reaction: no thanks.

You may be familiar with Bohm. He was an All Star last season and even participated in the Home Run Derby despite only taking 15 balls out of the park in 143 games. He’s been a regular on a pretty good Philly team that has played in some big games, so he has some name recognition. But the numbers don’t suggest the kind of bat that anyone in Seattle would be all too excited about.

In 4 1/2 years, Bohm has compiled a total of 3.8 bWAR. Three of those wins above a replacement player came last year. To help with some simple arithmetic, that means he was a 0.8 bWAR player until last season. And before you assume he is just hitting his stride, be aware that most of that success came in the first half of the season when his batting average and on-base percentage were both 50 points higher than in the second half, and his slugging was 100 points higher. There is a legitimate case to be made that Bohm has had no more than a few good months in his career.

But that’s not all. He will be 28 this season, so it would be surprising if the lightbulb was about to come on. And he has a reputation for being whiny and immature, two words that don’t provide any extra hope for the aforementioned lightbulb.

That player profile reminds me of a right-handed, infield version of Jesse Winker. He came over at 28 years old from the Cincinnati Reds (who play in another hitter’s paradise like Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Ballpark), coming off his lone All-Star season, and quickly in Seattle there were questions about his maturity. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice … well, let’s not get fooled again.

Each time I ask others in the industry why the Mariners would have interest, the answer back includes something about them needing a third baseman and how few options exist in this market. Both are fair and legitimate points, but neither should be enough of a reason to go down this road.

Essentially, don’t just acquire players to fill a position; acquire players you think will make you better! If you need to limit yourself to a third baseman, then go after Alex Bregman. He might be a longshot, but he’s a free agent with an incredible track record, a winning pedigree, and exactly the type of personality that this team needs to instill an attitude of confidence. In his nine years in Houston, Bregman does not have one healthy season with a bWAR lower than Bohm’s entire career added together. Or consider trading with the Cardinals for Nolan Arenado, who can still hit and play excellent defense, and would provide Seattle the veteran clubhouse experience it needs without needing to sign Turner or Carlos Santana. Or even trade for Orioles All-Star Jordan Westburg. The youngster would cost a ton of capital to pry him out of Baltimore, but you have plenty of capital to offer.

I wouldn’t limit the options to third basemen. If you truly believe in Christian Walker, sign him to play first and let Luke Raley DH. If you love Nico Hoerner and think he’s an everyday second basemen, you could let Moore play more at third. I still think Bo Bichette would be a fantastic addition and I wouldn’t hesitate to shake up the infield to get him in a Mariners uniform.

The point is, there are plenty of options if you are willing to go after them. This is a contending team that needs help getting over the top. I hope they prioritize players that can make an impact to accomplish that goal over ones who are simply available to play the right position.