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  • Phillies’ addition of Luis Arraez means an infield shuffle: ‘What are we going to say, no, we’re not moving?’

    Phillies’ addition of Luis Arraez means an infield shuffle: ‘What are we going to say, no, we’re not moving?’

    A little over four years ago, Bryson Stott made his major league debut at third base.

    It was not his natural position — he had been a shortstop in college, and primarily played there through the minor leagues — but there was an opportunity at third on opening day in 2022, and so that’s where Stott found himself.

    “People forget,” Stott said. “So I got some [experience]. I don’t know, four days of spring training at third, and … two games at third in my career.”

    Phillies acquire Luis Arraez in trade with Giants; Bryce Harper moving back to RF

    But Stott is about to get a whole lot more experience there, as the Phillies are planning to move him to third to open up second base for Luis Arraez. They acquired the infielder from the Giants on Monday along with right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian in exchange for two minor league prospects.

    Interim manager Don Mattingly texted Stott on Monday morning to let him know the plan.

    “I told him the same thing I’ve said for years: I don’t care. I just want to play,” Stott said.

    Arraez brings a National League-leading .324 batting average, elite bat control, and a strong preference to play second base to the Phillies. He has played first base in the past, but was open about his desire to stay at second even before the Phillies began their pursuit.

    Luis Arraez has played first base but prefers to stick at second.

    “It’s probably more about him and his concerns,” Mattingly said of Arraez. “So I think that’s fair. I think Dave [Dombrowski] knew that going in that wasn’t really an option for him.”

    Also shuffling positions will be Alec Bohm, who will be moving from third to first, and Bryce Harper, who will be moving from first to right field. Bohm and Harper have plenty of experience at their positions, although Harper’s last game in the outfield came in April 2022, prior to tearing his UCL.

    Stott, on the other hand, only has those two games. But he doesn’t look at third much differently.

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    “I’m just going to try and catch it and throw it, and not think anything much more, and make it bigger than it is, and go for it,” he said.

    The main difference from third is the longer throw, which requires the infielder to throw over the top. With the shorter distance from second base, Stott is accustomed to throwing sidearm.

    “I think just where I start the ball is going to be big,” Stott said. “My ball tends to carry a lot and kind of stays true. So if it starts high, it’s probably going to end up high, so just finding that starting point and going from there.”

    Shortstop Trea Turner is the only Phillies infielder not changing positions.

    The only Phillies infielder not moving positions is Trea Turner, who will remain at shortstop despite a league-worst -14 defensive runs saved at the position this year. Mattingly and Dombrowski said moving Turner off shortstop was not something the Phillies have discussed.

    “He works hard at it,” Dombrowski said. “And I’ve seen fielders go through struggling times, just like hitters do and pitchers do, so he’s a proven big league player, and I think he’ll do fine.”

    The Phillies’ infield as a whole has struggled this season. They have turned 65 double plays this season, tied with the Dodgers for fewest in the majors. As a collective, Phillies infielders have posted a -13 fielding run value.

    By the same metrics, Arraez has been a plus defender at second base this season (+9 fielding run value), but now he’s joining a completely new-look Phillies infield.

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    Mattingly isn’t concerned.

    “Not with Stott. Feel like he can play anywhere on the infield, honestly, and be really, really good,” Mattingly said. “So, really, no concern with him. Just makes us better, and we got to get better. We got to figure out ways to be consistent with our scoring and things like that. So I have no concern about moving them.”

    Even with three players switching positions four months into the season, Dombrowski thinks the infield has “a chance to be” better defensively.

    He also said these moves are temporary. Harper expects to move back to first base next season, and the Phillies view Stott as a second baseman.

    The switch to third base Bryson Stott is not long term. They still view him as a second baseman.

    “Arraez, we think is a pretty equal situation at second base. We like Stott at third base. He’s been a good third baseman when he played there before,” Dombrowski said. “It’ll take him a little while to get up to it. And we like Bohm at first base.”

    According to Mattingly, Harper’s willingness to move back to the outfield is “the key to this.”

    Harper had repeatedly reiterated his willingness to switch positions if the right move materialized to Mattingly and Dombrowski over the past week. As the Phillies and the Giants inched closer to pushing the deal for Arraez over the finish line on Sunday night, Harper texted Dombrowski, telling him again he’d be happy to move.

    And his agreement led the way for his teammates.

    “It should be not lost that our superstar first baseman, two-time MVP is willing to move,” Stott said. “And when you’re on a team and you see a guy do that, what are we going to say, no, we’re not moving?”

    Extra bases

    Jesús Luzardo (9-5, 3.57 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday opposite Nationals right-hander Zack Littell (7-8, 4.94 ERA). New acquisitions Arraez, Kilian, and reliever Brooks Raley are expected to be active Tuesday. … Just ahead of the 6 p.m. trade deadline Monday, the Phillies made a minor swap with the A’s, sending right-hander Seth Johnson in exchange for outfielder Colby Thomas. Thomas was optioned to triple A.

  • Phillies acquire Luis Arraez in trade with Giants; Bryce Harper moving back to RF

    Phillies acquire Luis Arraez in trade with Giants; Bryce Harper moving back to RF

    Luis Arraez is neither an outfielder nor a right-handed hitter. But he is the Phillies’ solution for scoring more runs.

    Even though it puts Bryce Harper back in right field.

    Welcome to the Phillies’ brave new world.

    Amid an underwhelming market for righty-swinging outfielders, Dave Dombrowski made a trade-deadline splash Monday, acquiring Arraez — a lefty-hitting second baseman — and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants for two minor leaguers, including breakout pitching prospect Ramon Marquez — and in the process, uprooting three-quarters of the infield and transplanting Harper to the outfield for the first time since April 2022.

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    Then, in an almost concurrent trade, the Phillies picked up veteran lefty reliever Brooks Raley from the Mets for minor-league outfielder John Spikerman and right-hander Luke Gabrysh.

    “Obviously,” Harper said, “it’s been a good deadline. I think [Dombrowski]’s done a great job.”

    Harper said he didn’t know the Phillies were talking to the Giants about Arraez when he texted Dombrowski on Sunday night, after a conversation over the weekend in Baltimore with manager Don Mattingly. In both cases, he reiterated what he has said for years: For another productive hitter who played in the infield, he would make a short-term move back to right field.

    With Harper clearing the way, the Phillies pivoted to Arraez, a contact-hitting savant and three-time batting champion with a bead on a fourth. He’s leading the National League with a .324 average and has struck out only 21 times in 464 plate appearances.

    In short, he’s like almost no other modern hitter.

    Luis Arraez has more walks (25) than strikeouts (21).

    “He’s kind of like the modern day like Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs,” said Mattingly, who played with both. “The guy just hits. He’s always hit, [won] batting titles, and just continues to do it. Obviously a huge addition to the lineup.”

    But in pivoting to a hitter whom they believe will have a bigger impact than any of the righty-hitting outfielders they were scouting, the Phillies threw into flux an infield that already ranks among the worst defensive groups in the majors.

    Arraez wants to stay at second base, where he improved defensively this season under Giants infield coach Ron Washington. Mattingly said the Phillies “wouldn’t have made the trade if we weren’t going to put him at second,” but really, they had little choice. The out-of-contention Giants assured Arraez they would only trade him to a team that would use him there.

    Effective Tuesday night, then, when Arraez joins the Phillies, second baseman Bryson Stott will move to third base, third baseman Alec Bohm will go to first, and yes, Harper will shift back to the grass.

    The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    “The key for me is Harp,” Mattingly said. “Harp moving to the outfield is really the key to this.”

    Said Harper: “I’ve said it in years past — I mean, 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.”

    In the weeks leading up to the deadline, the Phillies focused on three areas: a right-handed bat, a late-inning reliever, and a starting pitcher. With so many needs and few assets in the farm system, it seemed like a challenge for Dombrowski to get everything.

    As a team, the Phillies entered the week tied for 28th in the majors in on-base percentage (.304). In particular, they have gotten less production than any team from the right side of the plate, with a worst-in-the-majors .280 on-base percentage and .644 OPS.

    But neither Mike Trout nor Byron Buxton has signaled a willingness to waive their no-trade rights. (In Buxton’s case, the Twins are a playoff contender in the American League.) The Reds’ Spencer Steer injured his wrist and may miss the rest of the season; the Royals traded Lane Thomas to the Braves; the Angels’ Jo Adell has a .279 career on-base percentage; and the Orioles were noncommittal on trading Taylor Ward.

    (Adell and Ward were ultimately dealt to the Guardians and Mariners, respectively, Monday.)

    Given the state of the market, the Phillies felt they needed to get creative. So, they widened their search over the weekend, according to major league sources, and landed on Arraez, who has a .360 on-base percentage and figures to help set the table for Kyle Schwarber and Harper.

    “He’s a guy that won the batting title a couple of years and somebody that’s going to put the bat on the ball,” Harper said. “Exciting player, you know? I think he just brings a lot to our lineup. He’s got that hit tool, and it’s somebody that can be really good for us.”

    The Phillies also acquired Kilian, a 29-year-old righty, to add depth to the middle of the bullpen. He has a 4.26 ERA in 46 games this season, but hasn’t allowed a run in eight of his last 11 appearances.

    The move comes at a cost for a farm system that was already ranked among the worst in baseball.

    Marquez, a hard-throwing 20-year-old right-hander, has emerged this season, prompting debate among scouts about whether he or 2025 first-round pick Gage Wood was the best pitching prospect in the system. Scouts are impressed by Marquez’s changeup and an uptick in his fastball velocity. He has a 1.50 ERA in six starts since moving up to high-A Jersey Shore.

    Marty Gair, a 23-year-old, was recently promoted to Jersey Shore. He has a 4.50 ERA and six saves in 30 appearances overall this season.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    Raley is shaping up as an important addition, especially given the powerhouse Dodgers’ lefty-heavy lineup. In 41⅓ innings with the Mets, the 38-year-old veteran had a 1.96 ERA. A pending free agent, he will join José Alvarado as the lefty weapons to combat Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Kyle Tucker in the middle and late innings.

    “I see him more towards the back end,” Mattingly said. “Obviously we’ve got Alvy, who’s throwing the ball really good. But we’ll take all the arms we can get out there.”