The Philadelphia Phillies are actively seeking to bolster their bullpen this offseason, and they’re weighing options between making a trade or signing a free agent. According to The Athletic’s MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the Oakland Athletics approached the Phillies with a trade offer involving Alec Bohm. However, when the Phillies expressed interest in pitcher Mason Miller, the A’s quickly shut down the conversation. Miller, who is set to earn just $740,000 in 2025 and has not yet entered arbitration years, posted an impressive 2.49 ERA with 28 saves last season. Given his low cost and strong performance, it’s no surprise that the A’s are hesitant to part with him.
This raises the question: what would it take for the Phillies to acquire Miller? FanSided’s Quinn Everts suggests that the A’s might be willing to trade Miller if the Phillies offer Bohm, who would bring immediate offensive value, along with a prospect. Everts notes that top prospects like Aidan Miller and Andrew Painter should likely be off the table, but prospects such as Starlyn Caba and Justin Crawford, who rank as the Phillies’ No. 3 and No. 4 prospects, could be included in the deal. Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski might also need to include a lower-level prospect to finalize the trade. With the Phillies in a win-now mode, they are expected to aggressively pursue Miller or another high-caliber reliever.
