Phillies Shift Defense After Acquiring Luis Arraez
The club rearranged its infield and moved Bryce Harper back to right field to take advantage of Arraez’s improved defense while leaving longer-term roles unsettled because Arraez is a pending free agent.
Overview
- The Phillies completed the trade for second baseman Luis Arraez on Monday, and the team confirmed Arraez will play second base when he reports to Philadelphia.
- Manager Don Mattingly announced a defensive realignment that sends Bryson Stott to third base and Alec Bohm to first base to make room for Arraez at the keystone.
- Bryce Harper volunteered to move back to right field after not playing the outfield since his 2022 Tommy John surgery and Mattingly said Harper will be eased into the position.
- Trea Turner will remain the Phillies’ shortstop despite a sharp defensive decline this season that includes 18 errors and negative advanced metrics such as -8 OAA and -14 DRS.
- The changes are driven by Arraez’s improved glovework at second base but could be temporary because Arraez is a pending free agent and Harper is expected to resume first base duties next season.