08/03/26 11:36:00
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08/03 11:35 CDT Phillies beef up lineup with 3-time NL batting champion Luis
Arraez from San Francisco
Phillies beef up lineup with 3-time NL batting champion Luis Arraez from San
Francisco
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- The Phillies have acquired three-time batting champion
Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants in a move for the proven bat
Philadelphia's lineup needed in its chase for a fifth straight trip to the
playoffs and first World Series championship since 2008.
Arraez is batting a National League-best .324 with four homers and 47 RBIs with
an .801 OPS. He's a four-time All-Star and, of importance in the free-swinging
Phillies lineup, is a contact hitter who rarely strikes out.
He has struck out just 236 times over his eight-year career.
Arraez has 25 walks to 21 strikeouts this season. The Phillies .304 on-base is
second worst in the majors, only ahead of the New York Mets.
The Phillies also acquired right-hander reliever Caleb Kilian in the trade in
exchange for minor league right-handed pitchers Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair.
The Giants are 47-65 and have been of baseball's bigger disappointments.
The Phillies also struck a separate deal for Mets left-hander Brooks Raley in
exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Luke Gabrysh and minor league
outfielder John Spikerman.
Raley has a 5-5 record with a 1.96 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 45 games. His 1.96
ERA is tied for the fourth-lowest mark in the majors among left-handed
relievers and 35 appearances this season have been scoreless.
Arraez's arrival for a team that has reached the playoffs four straight years
signals a major shift in the defensive core lineup. Second Bryson Stott or
third baseman Alex Bohm could shift positions, or possibly one of them could
lose their starting spots.
Bohm could be the odd-man out at third since the Phillies could more easily
shift Stott to third base. The Phillies could also send first baseman Bryce
Harper back to right field and move Bohm to first base.
Bohm could also be traded before the end of Monday's deadline.
Arraez is eligible for free agency at the end of the season, so Harper's move
to right field could be a temporary change and one that allows for the Phillies
to put out their best offensive lineup.
Harper has played first base since 2023 when he returned from Tommy John
surgery on his right elbow.
The Phillies entered Monday's game against Washington at 59-53 and hold one of
the final NL wild-card spots. They are eight games back of Atlanta in the NL
East.
Arreaz led the National League in hits the past two seasons and had signed a
$12 million, one-year contract this season with the Giants. He spent his first
five major league seasons with the Minnesota Twins before they traded him to
the Miami Marlins in January 2023. San Diego acquired him in May 2024.
Harper challenged team president Dave Dombrowski to upgrade the roster, and he
came out swinging with deals that --- while not at the level of the Dodgers
trading for Tarik Skubal --- showed the Phillies are serious about staying in
the playoff hunt and making a World Series push in October.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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