While the Philadelphia Phillies addressed their need for a right-handed bat at the trade deadline by acquiring center fielder , they passed on the chance to add a true All-Star power hitter. Landing such a player would have meant moving either of their key stars to the outfield on a full-time basis — a defensive shift that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski opposed, despite the potential boost to the lineup.
Per Phillies reporter Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the team had discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks about third baseman Eugenio Suárez. Ultimately, Suárez was traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for three mid-level prospects.
According to Lauber, discussions with Arizona never progressed far because adding Suárez would have required a defensive shuffle — either moving Schwarber from designated hitter to left field or putting Harper back in the outfield, with Suárez taking over at third base and Alec Bohm shifting to first.
“They were open to the idea,” Dombrowski said of Schwarber and Harper potentially changing positions. “But internally, that wasn’t our preference.”
Suárez, set to become a free agent after the season, would have given the Phillies a formidable top four in the batting order alongside Trea Turner, Schwarber, and Harper. His presence would have also deepened the lineup by sliding catcher J.T. Realmuto and right fielder Nick Castellanos further down the order.
With Arizona, Suárez produced an .897 OPS and 36 home runs before being dealt to Seattle. It appears unlikely that Philadelphia will target him in free agency this offseason.