The Philadelphia Phillies are in the midst of a red-hot battle with the New York Mets for the National League East crown, but are not without a few holes to fill if they hope to win their division, conference, and, ultimately, the World Series.
One void is at third base, where Alec Bohm has missed several starts due to a fractured rib suffered on July 12 against San Diego, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the team is interested in acquiring elite slugger Eugenio Suarez from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the D’backs had scouts in attendance Friday night at Phillies’ prospect Mick Abel’s Triple-A start, further fueling expectations that the team will make a run at the third baseman.
It is not the easiest fit for the team, as Bohm is expected back after his recovery. The team would have to maneuver players around to accommodate everyone, with current designated hitter Kyle Schwarber moving to the outfield to open up the DH spot for Suarez. Bryce Harper is not poised to return to the outfield, and Bohm is a better defender than the potential newcomer, making him a better option at third.
Still, despite the logistical and positional logjam that such an acquisition would create, there is no denying he would be an excellent offensive asset to a team that may very well have to hit its way to a divisional crown.
Suarez would fit nicely between Schwarber and Harper, bringing balance to the lineup. More importantly, he would make it incredibly difficult for opposing pitchers to throw around those two considering his .249/.320/.584 slash line, Major League-leading 87 RBI, and 36 home runs.
He would make the top half of the team’s lineup one of the most potent in the game and his lefty bat, something the team could badly use, would only further create match-up nightmares for opposing squads.
There are plenty of other teams that are understandably interested in adding the All-Star and NL MVP candidate, but few (if any) can immediately benefit from him to the extent that they can go and win a World Series this year simply by adding him to their lineup.
The managing of the players may take some time to get right, but the potential influx of hits, runs, and wins more than make up for the game of positional Tetris that Rob Thomson would have to navigate.
