Proposed Astros-Phillies trade seems obvious, but could actually work with one caveat

There are a number of teams that are looking to trade contracts this offseason in order to free up money to address other areas of their rosters. The Houston Astros are one such team, as they face the daunting task of trying to keep Alex Bregman or, at minimum, replacing his production. They've paired that conundrum with the need to upgrade other roster spots under severe payroll constraints. Fun!

That challenge has led the Astros to be open to trading Framber Valdez or Kyle Tucker, a realization that has created quite the understandable buzz down at the Winter Meetings. While the actual probability that Houston would make such a drastic move remains to be seen, one trade chip that seems very likely to get moved if the Astros can find a taker is reliever Ryan Pressly.

It is probably ideal if the Astros can find a team that wants Pressly for a late-inning role and is willing to take on his $14 million salary for 2025. However, an alternative path with Pressly could exist for the Astros, given the proposed trade for the Phillies' Alec Bohm.

A Bohm-Pressly trade could work for the Astros, but only if the Phillies play ball

The scenario here is relatively straightforward. Assuming a world where Houston doesn't want to move Tucker or Valdez just yet, they can't find a team willing to take Pressly's money, and pursuing Bregman become untenable, striking a trade for Bohm could make sense. Such a trade wouldn't save Houston much in the way of cash, but it would give the Astros a third baseman, which could become a significant priority soon. Bohm also happens to be under team control through 2026.

Bohm has upside at the plate, as he just made an All-Star team and is a career .277 hitter, but his power seems to come and go, and one should be a little suspicious that Philly seems so intent on moving him this offseason. Another potential issue is that the Phillies just signed Jordan Romano to address their bullpen, and it is unclear how motivated they are to continue adding to the unit. Phillies exec Dave Dombrowski didn't close the door on adding more relievers this offseason, but didn't sound desperate to do so whatsoever after the move.

As things stand, the best course of action for the Astros right now remains trying to find some ways to save some money so that they can continue trying to bring Bregman back. General manager Dana Brown revealed at the Winter Meetings that they are still in talks with Bregman and still like their chances of signing him long-term. However, getting an offer together that Bregman would actually take could be a tall task this offseason, and a potential Bohm trade could be a nifty fallback option.

Don't be surprised, though, if Bregman lands in Philly once Dombrowski pulls this deal off.

More Astros News from Climbing Tal's Hill