PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies will move forward with Alec Bohm at first base, Luis Arraez at second and Bryson Stott at third, interim manager Don Mattingly confirmed Monday hours after the team acquired Arraez in a trade with the San Francisco Giants. Bryce Harper also will play right field for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery four years ago.
Mattingly said he spoke with Bryce Harper ahead of the trade deadline to ensure that Harper was serious about returning to right field. Harper confirmed he was. Harper also said he texted Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski on Sunday night, reaffirming his interest in moving to the outfield.
“I’ve said (I’d move) in years past,” Harper said. “I know everybody thinks it’s crap when I say it, but it’s not. Any chance that we have an opportunity to win — I’d do anything for this organization, and they know that.”
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Rates and Barrels
Harper moved to first base full-time in 2023 and has not played the outfield since. Mattingly said they would likely need to ease Harper in given how long it’s been since he played right field. It seems the Phillies are still figuring out exactly what that will look like, though Harper said he expects to start in right field on Tuesday — the day Arraez will report and the Phillies’ defensive alignment will shift.
Harper said the move to the outfield is temporary and he plans to return to first base in 2027.
Arraez, a poor defender in recent seasons, vastly improved as a second baseman while working with touted Giants infield coach Ron Washington. As the Giants shopped Arraez, they made clear that he wanted to remain at second.
That did not deter the Phillies, who seemingly had a set infield alignment. Now, they are rearranging nearly their entire infield and part of the outfield in this new, post-trade deadline world.
The manager said Stott and Bohm were made aware of their position changes via text on Monday before the Phillies’ game against the Washington Nationals. Stott debuted at third base in 2022, but has since seen little time there. Bohm has appeared at first base in 136 of his 826 career games.
“I think it’s pretty known now that I don’t care where I play, where I hit, anything like that,” Stott said. “I just want to play. Don told me it was an option and (asked) how I’d feel about it. I told him the same thing I’ve said for years: I don’t care.”
There will be ripple effects caused by the alignment change. Edmundo Sosa, who has played some left field this year, is more likely to see time in the infield, Mattingly said — though not as a platoon player with Stott as in the past. Mattingly said he will continue to play Stott every day. The Phillies are still figuring out their defensive alignment in left and center, though it seems the center-field platoon will remain Derek Hill and Justin Crawford with Bryan De La Cruz and Brandon Marsh now platooning in left.
The Phillies expect their other deadline acquisitions — relievers Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian — to also report Tuesday.
Mattingly is particularly excited to see Arraez slot into the lineup.
“Without putting too much pressure on him,” Mattingly said, “he’s kind of like the modern-day Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs — guy just hits, always hits, (wins) batting titles and just continues to do it.”
