Phillies notes on Harper's outfield comment and the Opening Day lineup

Phillies notes on Harper’s outfield comment and the Opening Day lineup

Phillies notes on Harper’s outfield comment and the Opening Day lineup originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

At separate points this winter, Bryce Harper, Dave Dombrowski and Rob Thomson all downplayed the idea when asked about Harper ever returning to the outfield.

Harper said when he arrived in Clearwater that he hadn’t even thought about it. Dombrowski said earlier in the offseason that it wasn’t being discussed. Thomson said it wasn’t under consideration.

Then Harper told Ken Rosenthal during an interview that ran this week at The Athletic that he did actually speak with the Phillies this offseason about his willingness to return to the outfield if it enabled the addition of a difference-making first baseman.

“I talked to them this offseason about that, just in case a guy was available (at first) that we needed to have, needed to get,” Harper told The Athletic. “I’d be more than open to it if we had a guy like that, who was going to change our lineup or change the demeanor of our team. They like me at first base. But I’d go out there to have a guy who was going to play first base and hit 35 or 40 homers.”

Harper’s comments to Rosenthal made the rounds because he’s Bryce Harper and it’s the first time he’s hinted at a return to the outfield. It still seems highly unlikely for multiple reasons. Harper is 32 now and hasn’t played outfield since the first week of 2022. He has also dealt with back injuries at times during his six seasons with the Phillies, and the reason he stopped playing right field to begin with was he tore the UCL in his throwing elbow, eventually requiring Tommy John surgery. Harper is entering Year 7 of 13 under contract and one of the Phillies’ top priorities is preserving his health.

Beyond those practical reasons, it would also need to be the right first baseman. Harper wouldn’t be moving to the outfield for a guy just called up from Triple A or for a bench bat pushing for more playing time. This offseason, the guy he says he would have switched positions for was Pete Alonso. Next offseason, maybe the same is true for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who told ESPN on Thursday that his last offer to the Blue Jays was for 14 years and nearly $600 million. Guerrero is a free agent after 2025.

“When Pete was on the block still, I kind of sat there and was like, ‘Hey, why not?’” Harper said. “When we talked about it, I kind of just reiterated to (the Phillies) and Scott (Boras) that I’m willing to move out there if it’s going to help us. I love playing first base. It’s been great. But if it’s going to help us win, I’d go back out there.”

Alonso can also become a free agent again after the season because his two-year contract with the Mets includes an opt-out. The 2025-26 free-agent class of first basemen includes Guerrero, maybe Alonso, Josh Naylor and veterans like Paul Goldschmidt and Josh Bell.

Lineup order?

Here’s what we know about the batting order Thomson wants to use in 2025:

Trea Turner is likely to lead off.
Thomson still wants to split up lefties Harper and Kyle Schwarber even though they both produced against same-handed pitching last season.
Harper does not want to lead off.
Thomson does not want to bat Schwarber lower than fourth.
And he wants to keep the top four or five hitters in the order consistent whether the Phillies are facing a left-handed or right-handed starter.

With all that said, the likeliest Opening Day lineup still looks like the first one we hypothesized when Thomson began talking Turner up as the leadoff man.