One of the Phillies’ unsung postseason heroes was nearly traded during spring training.
Most are familiar with the factoid when it comes to Alec Bohm. Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported back in March that there was “credible buzz” that Bohm was on the trading block. With the Phillies adding two DH types in Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos and shortstop Didi Gregorius still on the roster, Bohm was expendable if the Phillies believed his chances of improving both at the plate and at third base were low.
Apparently, something similar was brewing with Connor Brogdon at the time. Salisbury spoke about it on the latest edition of the Phillies Talk podcast. Despite Brogdon coming off a solid first full season with the big club in 2021 and the bullpen depth being relatively thin, the Phillies contemplated moving Brogdon in a trade:
Brogdon was a guy that was almost traded in spring training. I think there was some frustration with just his readiness to pitch. Maybe just some of the inconsistencies and their ears were open on him and I’ve heard that there was a deal in the works and he just wasn’t ready to pitch to open the season, so the deal didn’t happen and I think right now, everybody’s glad that he stayed here.
Jim Salisbury on how the Phillies contemplated trading Connor Brogdon in the spring.
Brogdon began the 2022 regular season on the club’s Opening Day roster, but his fastball velocity was down from 96-97 to 92-94 mph. He was sent down to Triple-A after three outings and returned in mid May. He allowed only two earned runs over his next 16 outings before a bout with COVID shut him down for a few weeks.
He struggled for much of the second half and appeared to still be in a funk heading into the playoffs after a bad outing in the Division Series, but Brogdon, according to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, made a critical mechanical adjustment at the right time and was fantastic during the NLCS and World Series.
In Game 4 of the LCS against the Padres, Brogdon was asked to throw more pitches than he had all season and got seven important outs in a come-from-behind win. He became only the fourth pitcher ever to strike out five batters over two innings in a World Series relief appearance in Game 5 against the Astros.
When we discuss Phillies relievers and the best postseason runs in franchise history, Brogdon’s name should at least be in the conversation. That would not have happened if the Phillies sent Brogdon packing six months earlier.
The same goes with Bohm.
After a three-error game in the first week of the season, Bohm steadily improved as a defender under the tutelage of infield coach Bobby Dickinson. He went from posting a -8 outs above average in May, the worst defensive showing by any defender in the sport in a single month all season according to the metric, to a +2 rating in June.
He also started heating up at the plate during the summer. From June 1 to the end of the regular season, Bohm slashed .284/.318/.410 with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs. He played a huge role in the Phillies advancing to the Division Series and even homered in the World Series.
Thanks to their performance in both the regular season and postseason, both Bohm and Brogdon will head into next season with solidified roles in the 2023. Sometimes, the best trades are the ones that are never made and the Phillies are glad that they showed belief in two players who turned out to play pivotal roles in the club’s run to the World Series.
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