Is Alec Bohm the answer for the Mariners at third base?

SEATTLE – Two months into the Seatle Mariners’ offseason, the club’s greatest need has come into focus: The M’s have to find a new third baseman.

There just isn’t an obvious option to fill the vacancy.

Given their payroll limitations, the Mariners have been transparent about their reluctance to spend on high-priced free agents such as Alex Bregman, the longtime Houston Astros rival and the most coveted third baseman on the open market.

The Mariners, instead, have positioned themselves as a draft-develop-trade operation, and the team’s top baseball decision maker, Jerry Dipoto, has a reputation as one of the sport’s most aggressive executives (with 176 trades, and counting, since 2015).

And the hot stove is starting to heat up again for Dipoto and the Mariners leading up to next week’s Major League Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas.

Industry sources said the Mariners have been active in exploratory talks with other clubs, shopping specifically for a new third baseman to replace Josh Rojas, who became a free agent last month when the Mariners opted not to offer him a contract.

Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm has been the most popular named linked to the Mariners in trade speculation early in the offseason.

In initial trade talks between the clubs, the Phillies asked for one of the Mariners’ top pitchers – Logan Gilbert or George Kirby – in exchange for Bohm, a source with knowledge of the discussions said.

Dipoto has gone on the record saying his preference would be to keep all five pitchers from a starting rotation that ranked as the best in MLB this season.

Bohm, 28, is coming off a career year for the Phillies, earning his first All-Star selection and posting a 3.0 WAR. He hit .280 with 15 homers, 44 doubles, 97 RBIs and a .779 OPS.

His low strikeout rate (14.2% in 2024) would be an attractive fit for a Seattle lineup that led MLB in strikeouts this year.

Bohm faded considerably in the season’s second half, though, posting a .681 OPS and getting benched at times in the postseason.

In his first four seasons in Philadelphia, Bohm had a 0.8 WAR combined, and he graded out as a below-average defender in four of his five seasons. Some talent evaluators view him as a better option at first base.

He has two more seasons of club control, and he’s projected to earn a pay raise up to $8 million for 2025 in his second year eligible for arbitration – perhaps part of the reason the Phillies have dangled him this offseason.

There have also been rumors about Bohm’s maturity and fit in the Phillies’ veteran clubhouse.

At this stage of the offseason, the Phillies’ high asking price would seem to take Bohm off the Mariners’ radar – at least for now.

Seattle is searching for two new infielders and the Mariners would prefer to add one at each corner.

They remain engaged with free agents Carlos Santana and Justin Turner to fill first base/designated hitter, per sources.

The Mariners have also had preliminary talks with the Chicago Cubs about second baseman Nico Hoerner, a Gold Glove winner who offers positional versatility.

The Cubs are seeking proven major league talent in talks for Hoerner, a source said.

The Mariners have cultivated a wealth of talent in their minor league system – they had more prospects (eight) than any MLB team ranked in Baseball America’s Top 100 this summer – and Seattle’s front office has expressed a willingness, an industry source said, to include prospects in the right trade.