Jon Conahan
The Philadelphia Phillies front office should be applauded for plenty, but what they’ve done with their farm system doesn’t get talked about enough.
The Phillies have an elite farm system with multiple players expected to be everyday big league starters in the foreseeable future.
Of course, until prospects come up to The Show and prove they can play with the best of them, there will be question marks about their game, however, Philadelphia’s top prospects have shown they have the tools to succeed at the highest level, which is a very promising sign for the future of this organization.
There are scenarios this winter where they could trade one or two of them, though.
The front office has been hesitant to do so in the past, but if the Phillies get an offer they can’t refuse, making a deal shouldn’t be out of the question.
This team is built to win now, and even in a perfect world, some of their youngsters are still a year or two away from contributing to the Major League team.
But things could get tricky if they move Alec Bohm.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic likes Philadelphia finding another third baseman this winter if they plan to trade Bohm. His reasoning for finding another third baseman is that he doesn’t believe Aidan Miller will be ready until 2026 or 2027.
“I don’t think Phillies prospect Aidan Miller will be ready to play third in the majors until at least 2026 or 2027. I’ve heard the rumors they could have interest in getting Arenado from the Cardinals and I do think playing at Citizens Bank Park would help him, but St. Louis would need to absorb a lot of his contract.”
Miller is only 20 years old and doesn’t turn 21 until June of 2025, so he’s much younger than the typical prospect who gets called up.
Despite being as talented as he is and regarded as an elite prospect, it’d be tough to have him play for the Phillies in 2025 and expect much.
In the minors, all signs point to him eventually being a middle-of-the-order bat in Philadelphia’s lineup. He slashed .261/.366/.446 in 395 at-bats, appearing in Single-A, High-A, and Double-A in 2024.
Some fans have asked for him to get a chance earlier than 2026, especially if they move Bohm, but that, doesn’t seem likely.
If they were to find a replacement for Bohm, they wouldn’t have to rush Miller, which would likely help him develop and not put too much pressure on him immediately