Philadelphia Phillies need to stick with Alec Bohm over Johan Camargo

I know a lot of people aren’t so pleased with Alec Bohm. After crushing baseballs in 2020, he reverted to something else in 2021. The young Philadelphia Phillies third baseman may not be destined for great things or even remain at the position he has called home since making his major league debut. Nobody knows what’s in store for him quite yet.

What we should all probably agree on is that Johan Camargo cannot possibly beat him for the starting third base job. Brought in this winter after several seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Camargo’s role was to be a bench piece for the team. However, there seems to be a third base competition brewing between him and Bohm.

Regardless of how down you are on Bohm, this cannot be the path the Phillies take.

The Philadelphia Phillies need to let Alec Bohm lose the third base job before handing it to Johan Camargo.

Even if you’ve seen enough from Bohm, would Camargo be an improvement? This is a guy who has only one full season as a major league hitter under his belt. He has bounced up and down between the majors and minors during the last three years. His successful 2018 campaign is way off in the distance now.

An appropriate signing by the Phillies, the Camargo deal is nothing major nor is it something that should alter the original plans with Bohm. Unless he is indeed traded before Opening Day, he is the best option.

The best argument in favor of Camargo is his defense. As a good-fielding third baseman also capable of playing just about anywhere else you ask him, the team would have little worries about him handling himself on that side of the ball.

The con is the ceiling. There is a reason why Atlanta didn’t give Camargo more chances than they did. He is a part-time player whose role on the Phillies should be to provide them with second-string talents. The universal DH makes it possible for Camargo to get into games regularly as a late-inning defensive replacement, most likely for Bohm. This should be exactly how the team uses him. No spring performance. No defensive drills. Nothing should change this.

Camargo is a fine player but Bohm needs to be the guy to lose the third base job in the regular season. Too many young, talented Phillies players have lost their confidence over the years. Let’s now let Bohm be the next.