The Phillies are on the verge of adding the ideal piece to their clubhouse: Alex Bregman.

Although Juan Soto still makes the most news, Alex Bregman is arguably this winter’s most interesting free agent. A strong market for the All-Star third baseman could lead to better opportunities for the two-time World Series champion, who has played his whole nine-year career with the Houston Astros.

The Philadelphia Phillies, a team that desperately needs more stability in its star-studded offense, is one of the prospective suitors. Although the Phillies are known for their power, they were completely chilly during the playoffs due to a frustrating hot-and-cold pattern. On the surface, few teams have more star power, but the Phillies would greatly benefit from having a reliable, disciplined bat in the middle of the lineup.

There’s just a small issue. Alec Bohm is already an All-Star at the hot corner for the Phillies, while Bregman is a natural third baseman. Bohm’s mood changed toward the end of the season, but he’s too excellent to be benched and isn’t particularly suited at another position (Bryce Harper certainly has first base on lock).

Bregman is a potential second baseman, but it’s unlikely the Phillies will sign him unless they first trade Bohm. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale says the possibility is still very much alive.

Should Alec Bohm be traded, the Phillies are likely to pursue Alex Bregman aggressively, as his skillset and personality align well with the team. Alternatively, they might sign Willy Adames and shift him to third base, according to Nightengale.

For Phillies supporters, that is great news. Adames and Bregman are both clear candidates, but Bregman is the better choice because to his superior bat-to-ball abilities and wealth of postseason experience. We know John Middleton is prepared to spend money to field a contender, but there’s a fair chance his deal will grow to a total value of about $200 million. The Phillies have played Bregman in the World Series, so they are also familiar with his value.

Even though the 30-year-old isn’t having his best season, he still managed to slash 4.1 WAR.260/.315/.453 with 75 RBI and 26 home homers. At the hot corner, he is a superb, rangy defender, which the Phillies currently need in some ways. Harper initially had a Gold Glove-caliber season, but this Philadelphia team has rarely been strong on defense.

It shouldn’t be too difficult to trade Bohm. An All-Star on his record, he is 27 years old and has a few more years of affordable team control left. We cannot overlook his outstanding first half of the season, but the postseason difficulties were a huge disappointment. Before the All-Star break, Bohm was maybe Philadelphia’s most reliable batsman, and he has gotten significantly better every season.

For Bohm, teams will be clamoring. There will be competition if the Phillies are determined to sign Bregman, but Dave Dombrowski should have complete control over the situation. In his quest for that elusive third World Series ring, it’s difficult to think of a more alluring destination for the two-time All-Star.

Juan Soto’s $600 million free agency decision.

After Soto said that he would be checking in at every potential location, the Juan Soto sweepstakes started as a 30-team competition. Shortly after he made that assertion, however, this rapidly fell to fewer than ten teams.

The field shrank to six teams as the offseason got underway; these were the teams that supposedly met with Soto: the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

According to Nightengale, only four teams are seriously in contention for Soto: the Mets, Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox.

He said the Phillies and Dodgers were never really that involved anyhow. Although it seems that the Phillies never had a formal meeting with the superstar, the Dodgers checked in with him simply because he was in California.

In any case, everyone anticipated that these four teams would be the Soto sweepstakes finals. Although I wouldn’t rule out the Red Sox or Blue Jays until they drop out themselves, everyone also believes that the Yankees and the Mets will win.