The Philadelphia Phillies understand that this offseason will be one of their most crucial in years. Beyond improving the bullpen, Dave Dombrowski needs to reshape the roster to avoid bringing back a group that has produced back-to-back disappointing finishes. The free-agent market is deep enough to allow real changes, but the Phillies will have to work hard to make meaningful upgrades.
One position that could use an upgrade is third base. Alec Bohm provides steady defense, but his offense has been inconsistent. That’s why ESPN’s David Schoenfield believes Philadelphia should target a highly versatile star this winter.
“The Phillies have essentially rolled out the same core for the past three seasons, and it’s worked — only the Dodgers and Brewers have won more games since 2023,” Schoenfield wrote. “But they also haven’t gotten back to the World Series, and the lineup has hit just .199 across the last two postseasons. With that in mind, they need to shake things up, and Bregman would bring both a winning background and the type of edge that could energize the clubhouse.”
Schoenfield went on to explain why a Bregman signing makes sense from a baseball standpoint as well. Bohm hasn’t produced much in October, tallying only two home runs and 14 RBIs in 38 postseason games. Despite hitting just 11 homers during the regular season, he was still asked to bat cleanup in the NLDS against the Dodgers. Bregman, he argued, would be an immediate offensive upgrade at third base and could slide into the top of the order. If the Phillies also re-signed Kyle Schwarber, Bregman could hit either between Schwarber and Bryce Harper or take over the cleanup spot.
Assuming Schwarber returns, pairing him with Bregman and Harper would give Philadelphia one of baseball’s most dangerous power-hitting groups — making it extremely difficult for opposing pitchers to avoid tough matchups. If Dombrowski can land Bregman, bring Schwarber back, and also address the remaining roster needs, he might become a fan favorite in Philadelphia, as such moves would likely make the Phillies one of the early World Series favorites for next season.