MLB Hot Stove Noontime Lunch: Phillies shopping power hitter, Bryce Harper shifting to first base, AL Central hurler on the radar
The Phillies have reached the NLCS the last two seasons, falling short of the Fall Classic this past season.
With the offseason underway, the Phillies are open to trading one of their core middle of the lineup bats, in effort to improve their roster for 2024 and beyond.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Philly is open to the idea of trading Nick Castellanos. The slugger had a solid 2023 season hitting 29 homers with 106 RBIs and posting a .788 OPS in 157 games. He saw a dip in his production in mid-Aug. that lasted about a month. He also was incredibly streaky during the postseason.
If the Phillies move on from Castellanos, they could acquire pitching help if they lose Aaron Nola in free agency. Free agent options Jorge Solar and Teoscar Hernández are options to replace his production in the Phillies lineup.
Bryce Harper to be the Phillies new first baseman
Dave Dombrowski told reporters on Wednesday that Bryce Harper will be their everyday first baseman in 2024. This will likely close the door on Rhys Hoskins time in Philly.
Hoskins tore his left ACL in March, leaving a hole at the position. Harper volunteered to play first base once he was able to come off the injured list following elbow surgery.
“We decided we’re going to play him at first base,” Dombrowski said. “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. We think he’ll develop into a Gold Glove first baseman. He’s committed to doing that.”
Dombrowski told reporters he has a long conversation with Harper on Sunday to go over the team’s decision.
“We look at Bryce being our first baseman, we look at [Kyle] Schwarber being our DH the majority of the time,” Dombrowski said. “So, I did talk to Rhys on Sunday, let him know about the situation. I gave him a call and just explained the situation. Because, as you know, we absolutely think the world of him and [Hoskins’ wife] Jayme. They’re just wonderful people. They’ve done so much for the community. We don’t want to 100 percent close any doors, but I’d say when we look at the situation … he understood. If he's not back with us, we wish him nothing but the best. But he’s fantastic.”
There is no plans for Harper to play right field in 2024.
“He’s in a position where we think for his future it’s a great thing to do as he starts to age,” Dombrowski said. “He can gladly go to the outfield, but he’s committed to being that type of guy over there at first base.”
Philly interested in Sonny Gray (report)
The Phillies are expressing interest in free agent righty Sonny Gray, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. With Aaron Nola on the market, Philadelphia is doing their due diligence on casting a wide net in free agency to upgrade their rotation.
Morosi reports that the Phillies would aggressively pursue Gray if Nola bolts in free agency.
The 34-year-old is coming off one of his best seasons of his career, posting a 2.79 ERA in 184 innings.
Gray was sharp in the postseason, tossing five scoreless frames in the AL Wild Card round, leading the Twins over the Blue Jays. He is also a CY Young finalist, however its widely expected Gerrit Cole will win the award.
Minnesota extended a qualifying offer to Gray who told reporters that “money is not the ultimate factor” for him this winter.
“I don’t know if this is the right thing to say before going to become a free agent, but I’ll say it because it’s honest. Money is not the ultimate factor for me. Never has been,” Gray said. “Having said that, you want to be valued appropriately.”
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