Phillies trade for Luis Arraez as Bryce Harper shifts to right field

The Philadelphia Phillies completed a deadline trade that brought three-time batting champion Luis Arraez and right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian from the San Francisco Giants, sending two pitching prospects in return. To accommodate the addition, veteran slugger Bryce Harper, who has played first base since 2023, will move to right field starting Tuesday, a position he has not played since early 2022.

Harper told team president Dave Dombrowski he was willing to change positions if it helped the club win a World Series. > "If anything pops up, make the move," he texted Dombrowski.

Arraez, who leads the National League with a .324 batting average and has a career .318 average, is expected to bat near the top of the lineup. > "He’s kind of like the modern-day Tony Gwynn or Wade Boggs, a guy that just hits, wins batting titles and continues to do it," manager Don Mattingly said.

The trade also includes left-handed reliever Brooks Raley, acquired from the Mets, adding depth to a bullpen that has been a focus for the team. Philadelphia’s offense, ranked 29th in on-base percentage, hopes the new pieces will spark more consistent scoring.

Other positional adjustments were made to fit Arraez into the roster: second baseman Bryson Stott will shift to third base, and first baseman Alec Bohm will move to first base next season. > "Anything to win," Bohm said.

Mattingly credited Harper’s willingness to move as the key factor that allowed the front office to broaden its search for offensive upgrades. > "The key to this all is Harp, him being willing to do it, being serious about it, was the key to opening our mind to do different things," he said.