Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm. Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Should Phillies and Pirates swap former All-Stars?

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Feb 10, 2026 10:45 AM ET

Now that the NFL season is over, Major League Baseball begins its season, with teams beginning their journey to win the World Series. Two teams vying for a chance at the title, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates, have done well to shape their rosters to help their chances but are a few pieces short.

The Phillies, with their solid offense (second in team batting average, .258), are an arm short in their starting rotation, and the Pirates lack an everyday third baseman, with Jared Triolo the only third baseman on the roster. With both teams having significant holes on their roster, the Phillies and the Pirates could be potential trade partners.

Phillies' president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski anticipates the trade market will heat up, with the free agent starting pitching market slowly developing, per USA Today Columnist Bob Nightengale.

The Phillies-Pirates trade that could help both clubs succeed in 2026

With the Phillies needing a starting pitcher and the Pirates a third baseman, a potential swap of right-hander Mitch Keller and third baseman Alec Bohm could be in order. Both are former All-Stars, Bohm (2024) and Keller (2023), and would fill the voids, especially the Phillies, as ace Zack Wheeler is not likely to be ready for Opening Day.

Dave Dombrowski says the Phillies will look for starting pitching depth this spring and anticipates there will be more trade activity than usual with the late developing free-agent market https://t.co/6qYw0WvkwZ
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 9, 2026

Keller, 29, has three years ($55.7 million) left on his contract, while Bohm will be a free agent after the 2026 season and will make $10.2 million this season. Bohm and Keller have been subject to trade discussions for the last couple of seasons, and a change of scenery for both could get them back to their All-Star forms.

Bohm hit .287 with an OPS of .741 and 11 home runs in 2025, while Keller went 6-15 with an ERA of 4.19 while striking out 150 batters in 176.1 innings. Adding another player on the Phillies' side of the trade may be a factor, as Keller has more years of team control than Bohm, but the move makes sense for both sides.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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