Bryce Harper is trading in his first baseman’s glove.
The Phillies All-Star is expected to move to the outfield after the team acquired infielder Luis Arraez in a trade with the Giants, according to multiple reports.
Philadelphia sent its No. 4 prospect, Ramon Marquez, and Marty Gair in exchange for Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian.
Harper, who hasn’t played outfield since he played eight games there in 2022 and full-time in 2021, brought his outfielder’s glove on the Phillies’ last road trip, saying he was ready to make the move if necessary.
With Arraez taking second base, Alec Bohm is expected to move to first base and Bryson Stott to third.
The move shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as Harper has been adamant that he’s willing to play anywhere to help the team win since arriving in Philadelphia.
“When [Pete Alonso] was on the block still, I kind of sat there and was like, ‘Hey, why not?’ When we talked about it, I kind of just reiterated to [the Phillies] and Scott [Boras] that I’m willing to move out there if it’s going to help us,” Harper told the Athletic in 2025.
“I love playing first base. It’s been great. But if it’s going to help us win, I’d go back out there.”
Arraez, one of the lone bright spots on a dismal Giants team, can help the Phillies win from both the batter’s box and on defense.
He’s slashed .363/.416/.416 so far this season and has recorded 43 RBI’s in 420 at-bats.
The three-time MLB batting champion brings a consistent swing to a team tied for 28th with a .304 on-base percentage and 16th in baseball with 4.38 runs per game.
His defense has been some of the best in the league amongst second basemen, as well, holding a .988 fielding percentage to go with 284 assists and a 4.28 range factor.
For comparison, Bryson Stott, the Phillies’ starting second baseman before the trade, held a .997 fielding percentage with 242 assists and a 3.86 range factor.
