Phillies Star's Willingness To Change Positions Creates Flexibility at Trade Deadline

With the midway point of the season here for the Philadelphia Phillies, they are right where they want to be in the National League East.

Even though it hasn’t been all perfect for the Phillies this year, they are still proving to be one of the best teams in the NL once again.

When looking at the roster for Philadelphia, there are a lot of things to like. However, some of the issues that have plagued them in the past remain, and this will be a very aggressive franchise over the summer.

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While the starting rotation won’t be touched, the team will be looking to add some help in their bullpen and potentially in the lineup as well.

The offense for the Phillies has been inconsistent at times, with the overall depth of the unit being an issue from the top of the batting order to the bottom.

Buster Olney of ESPN recently wrote about Phillies star Bryce Harper being willing to move back to the outfield if it meant adding a first baseman to help solidify the lineup.

“If the Phillies feel they can upgrade the team by adding a first baseman, Harper is prepared to move to the outfield.”

One of the reasons why Philadelphia lost in the NLDS to the New York Mets last year was because of the lack of production from the outfield. While Nick Castellanos was able to perform well in the postseason, there wasn’t much offensive production from either center or left field.

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A potential move from Harper to one of the corner outfield spots would drastically change that and help the offense.

With their star's willingness to do whatever he can to help the team, it will give the front office some flexibility to pursue other hitters that might be able to help.

Adding an impact outfielder at the trade deadline could be tricky, but allowing the team to go after a first baseman widens the net of possibilities.

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It hasn’t been since 2022 that the two-time NL MVP started a game in the outfield, so there would likely be some adjusting for him. Furthermore, he hasn’t played left field since the very beginning of his career.

This would be a major adjustment for Harper and the Phillies, but if an impact bat is available at first base to help a lineup that needs it, the move could make sense.

Whether or not this comes to fruition remains to be seen, but it’s great to see the mentality of Harper being willing to do whatever it takes to improve the team.

For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.