What in the world are the Philadelphia Phillies doing? It’s a question fans have become far too accustomed to asking recently. From baffling bullpen decisions to an inadequate trade deadline, Phillies leadership seems completely asleep at the wheel. Perhaps nothing exemplifies this incompetence more than the disastrous decision to shift an aging Bryce Harper to the outfield to accommodate whipping boy Alec Bohm.
Harper had not played the outfield since he suffered an ulnar collateral ligament tear back in early 2022, and has been the Phils’ regular first sacker for over three years now. The 33-year-old has played a cromulent first base, but certainly doesn’t move like he used to and has about as much range as an elephant at this point in his 15-year career.
That shift to the infield lined up nicely to replace fan favorite Rhys Hoskins after the 2022 campaign, and Harper’s previous right field position was mostly filled by the mercurial Nick Castellanos. Unfortunately, the outfield as a whole has been a weak link for almost that entire span, as the hot-and-cold Brandon Marsh has shared the grass with a rotating cast of unimpressive characters like Johan Rojas, Max Kepler and Adolis García, among others.
It seemed almost a given that Harper was not an option to move back to the outfield, as the Phils passed up on quality first basemen like Christian Walker and Pete Alonso in free agency. However, something changed last Monday just before the trade deadline.
Embattled Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made a few intriguing moves, most important of which was the acquisition of three-time batting champion Luis Arraez. The 29-year-old is the perfect addition to a lifeless Phillies lineup, but his defensive fit makes a bit less sense.
Bringing in Arraez to play the keystone kicked off a game of musical chairs, as incumbent second baseman Bryson Stott shifted over to the hot corner, Alec Bohm moved from third to first base, and Harper took up residence in right field. On the surface it seemed a logical move, as Arraez’s bat is certainly worth ruffling a few defensive feathers in order to squeeze him in.
Moving Bryce Harper to the outfield to keep Alec Bohm in the lineup has completely backfired, but the Phillies still have time to fix it
Unfortunately, the logic breaks down when it comes to Bohm. The 2018 third-overall draft pick has failed to materialize as a consistently productive player over seven big league seasons, and has more than worn out his welcome in his career-worst 2026 campaign. Bohm has inexplicably been penciled into the cleanup spot most nights, and has responded with a moribund .647 OPS, good for dead last among Phillies regulars.
It only makes sense that the arrival of Luis Arraez should displace the team’s worst hitter; that being Alec Bohm. Astonishingly, Dombrowski and interim manager Don Mattingly have chosen to continue riding the Bohm train as it careens off the rails, displacing the hot-hitting Bryan De La Cruz in right field.
Bohm has responded about as poorly as everyone expected post-trade deadline, collecting just five hits in 25 trips to the plate, while single-handedly costing his team a winnable game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Now, to make matters worse, Harper’s increased workload in the outfield has led to a flareup of knee soreness, taking him out of the starting lineup for Monday’s contest against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ah nice, the outfield thing is going about as well as expected. https://t.co/iIaXD0LJnl
— Jack Fritz (@JackFritzWIP) August 10, 2026
Considering the dreadful state of affairs that is the Phillies’ offense, they can’t afford to lose Harper for more than a game or two before their playoff chances start to drop precipitously. The fact that they’re in this situation to begin with is due to nothing more than complete and utter malpractice by Dombrowski and Mattingly.
The Phillies’ sinking ship called for creativity at the trade deadline, and bringing in Arraez fit that bill. However, his arrival could have been accommodated with just one move: Stott to third base. From there, Bohm could have been benched - or heck, even released - and Harper could have stayed comfortable at first base. In fact, it’s hard to imagine that De La Cruz could be any worse taking Bohm’s spot in the lineup.
Alas, the Phillies seem destined to shoot themselves in the foot, as they have made everyone’s lives more difficult for the sole purpose of keeping the useless Alec Bohm in the starting nine. What makes things even more perplexing is the fact that Bohm serves no purpose moving forward. The Nebraskan is set to reach free agency at season’s end, and there would be riots in the streets if he was brought back for next year.
The Phillies still have time to fix this mess, but it’ll require eating crow. Dombrowski will need to swallow his pride and admit that the Bohm experience has been an unmitigated disaster. Mattingly will have to own up to the fact that penciling Bohm into the lineup card day after day was a mistake.
It can be hard for people to own up to their failures, especially in a public-facing setting like professional sports. However, the Phillies’ opportunity to finally win a World Series is fading fast, and they can’t afford to hamstring themselves (especially by putting their marquee player in a position to get hurt) by attempting to save face. Dave Dombrowski and Don Mattingly have a chance to keep their team afloat, but it’ll require throwing Alec Bohm overboard.
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