There Are 'No Plans' For Phillies To Change Position of Their Superstar

The Philadelphia Phillies are officially putting an end to the speculation that their superstar might change positions again.

Oct 5, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) in action against the New York Mets in game one of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

One of the more interesting things surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason was the random thought that Bryce Harper could change his position.

After moving to first base from right field following his Tommy John surgery, the slugger has turned into an elite defender in that role.

But with there being a clear need for the Phillies to upgrade their offensive production in the outfield, apparently there was some conversation that the team might move him back to his previous role and bring someone in to play first base full time.

While that might work on paper, it never seemed like a real option Philadelphia might pursue.

Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY confirmed as much when he reported the team has "no plans" to move Harper back to the outfield after he was a Gold Glove finalist in his first full season operating in that position.

With that out of the way, finding someone to play in left or center is back in the spotlight.

Of course, who that might be becomes the next question with the entire fanbase hoping they become ultra-aggressive and land Juan Soto.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has discussed the possibility of going after someone of his caliber this offseason, but he was hesitant to flat out say he was a target of theirs despite owner John Middleton stating he expects an increase in payroll next year.

Those are conversations the front office, including their new general manger Preston Mattingly, will have to have with Middleton when formulating a plan on how to upgrade this roster.