Philadelphia Phillies should trade for Matt Chapman, even for Alec Bohm

Now 159 games into his major league career which spanned across two seasons, we get a clearer picture of what Alec Bohm could maybe be for the Philadelphia Phillies. His rookie campaign in 2020 raised expectations to a level that was impossible for him to match as a slumping sophomore in 2021.

Bohm saw his slash line go from .338/.400/.481 down to .247/.305/.342. Now the owner of a lifetime slash line of .274/.333/.383, he’s a young guy the Phillies can choose to build around or flip right now for a more established third baseman.

That’s where Matt Chapman comes into the conversation. A star at the hot corner for several seasons, he’s a member of the “everything must go” Oakland Athletics. He’s everything Phillies fans want from a third baseman. He has the Mike Schmidt and Scott Rolen abilities to hit home runs and win Gold Gloves.

The Philadelphia Phillies should pursue Matt Chapman this offseason

Chapman’s value isn’t what it was after the 2019 season. An All-Star in the season where everyone hit, Chapman clobbered 36 home runs and drove in 91. He hasn’t been quite as good the last two seasons, missing a large portion of 2020 along the way.

Last year was an interesting one for Chapman as he saw his offensive numbers take a major dive. It’s his total bases that really stand out. A doubles and home run hitter in the past, he had only 15 two-base hits and 27 home runs this past year. All combined, Chapman had 213 total bases. This was way down from the 295 from back in 2019 and even the 278 he posted in his first full season in 2018. He also struck out 202 times, never previously fanning more than 147 instances in a single season.

Despite this, Chapman has the tools to do other things well. His glove alone is worth a look. Now a three-time winner of the Gold Glove, he could help continue the long-lost tradition of Phillies third basemen stealing runs with their defense.

Chapman is definitely available. The trouble with the Phillies is finding the expendable prospects to make a deal happen. The farm system has dried up but Bohm, although now in the major leagues, isn’t too far removed. He is pre-arbitration and has the kind of ceiling a team like the Athletics would look to acquire.

It’s not as easy as swapping one for the other. Chapman is proven. Bohm is not.

Making a trade with Oakland has its other challenges. Even their worst contracts aren’t exorbitantly high. The deadweight contracts belonging to Elvis Andrus and Stephen Piscotty are ones that most teams can absorb if it means giving up less to acquire a guy with more value—such as Chapman.

The Phillies have been in a strange spot at third base for a couple of years. Maikel Franco had the exact kind of career we all fear Bohm could with high expectations early on and a quick turn for the worst.

It has been a dry spell at the hot corner for a long time. Even in the club’s best years, Pedro Feliz was a role player and not a star.

The Athletics are filled with tradable players for contending hopefuls like the Phillies to snag. Bohm for Chapman is just the start of any deal they should make. Just remember to not call them collect. The Athletics aren’t looking to spend more than they must.