Phillies make major decision on Bryce Harper’s future

Oct 22, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Bryce Harper (3) after hitting a RBI double in the first inning during game four of the NLCS against the San Diego Padres for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have made a major decision regarding the future of Bryce Harper that will have other big impacts on their roster.

Phillies president Dave Dombrowski told reporters Wednesday that the team plans to have Harper play exclusively at first base moving forward. That means the Phillies do not plan to try to bring back first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who is a free agent after missing the entire 2023 season due to an ACL tear.

Dave Dombrowski, on Bryce Harper: "We decided we're going to play him at first base. … He's happy to do whatever we wanted him to do. He said he'd play first or the outfield. He feels great. But the more we talked about it internally, we liked the idea of playing him at first."

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) November 8, 2023

Dave Dombrowski said he spoke with Rhys Hoskins to tell him about the decision. Harper will be the everyday first baseman (he will not play right field) and the Phillies see Kyle Schwarber as the primary DH, essentially leaving Hoskins nowhere to play.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) November 8, 2023

“He’s happy to do whatever we wanted him to do,” Dombrowski said of Harper. “He said he’d play first or the outfield. He feels great. But the more we talked about it internally, we liked the idea of playing him at first.”

Harper had spent his entire career in the outfield up until 2022, when an elbow injury forced him to move to DH for most of the season. After offseason Tommy John surgery, he returned and played at first in order to get back on the field more quickly, as well as to give the team extra lineup flexibility. He acquitted himself well at the position, and the team clearly liked what they saw.

Hoskins hit 30 home runs in 2022, his last healthy season. He should be in high demand on the open market, but he will not be back in Philadelphia.