The clock is winding closer to zero on the MLB offseason, and the Boston Red Sox are still searching for an infielder to replace Alex Bregman. Since their Ranger Suarez signing, reports have turned towards the trade market as Boston's answer.
The names that have been circulating should be familiar to Red Sox Nation at this point. The Astros' Isaac Paredes has been a popular player all offseason, Arizona's Ketel Marte name is still going around despite Mike Hazen publicly pulling him off the trade block, and the Cardinals' Brendan Donovan has resurfaced.
Fans may be tired of hearing the same names over and over again — and luckily for them, Jon Heyman of the New York Post threw another name into the hat (subscription required). Heyman floated Philadelphia's Alec Bohm as an option to fill the Red Sox's gap at third base.
The 29-year-old former All-Star has been a name posited by many national analysts as a player to be moved this offseason. Bohm is coming off a season in which he hit .287 with a .741 OPS in 120 games for Philly. He had just 32 extra-base hits and was worth 1.5 bWAR.
Rumored Red Sox trade candidate Alec Bohm isn't the solution to Boston's infield problem
Jayson Stark just said on @975TheFanatic that the Phillies are now "really unlikely" to trade Alec Bohm
— Colin Newby (@ToNewbyginnings) January 16, 2026
Bohm doesn’t fit what the Red Sox are looking for. He has just one year remaining before free agency and has consistently graded out as a negative defender at third base; he profiles more as a short-term stopgap than a core piece. The primary appeal for Craig Breslow would be his right-handed bat and low strikeout and whiff rates.
The former third overall pick took a major step back at the plate last season. Despite having a career-high batting average in a full season, he hit for his worst slugging percentage since 2022. After what looked like a breakout 2024, where he hit 15 home runs and 44 doubles and drove in 97 runs, his 2025 was extremely underwhelming.
The only other reason the Sox could make this pivot is trade cost. Bohm likely won't cost the Sox the same amount as Paredes, Marte, or Donovan would. Not only does he have the least amount of team control, he also hasn't proven that he will consistently put up more than 2 WAR.
Bohm shouldn't be the answer. The Red Sox aren't looking for a stopgap, which Bohm would be. They also need a true middle-of-the-order bat, which there is no guarantee Bohm will be.