PHILADELPHIA — The news that the Phillies are planning to be without Bryce Harper until after the All-Star Break brings some clarity and some confusion to their offseason.
The clarity lies in what we’ve seen so far. Dave Dombrowski has likely known for a long time that there was a strong chance he’d be without his MVP for a big chunk of the 2023 season. Surely, it was in the back of his mind when he acquired lefty center fielder Brandon Marsh at the trade deadline. And it was probably at the forefront of his thinking when he began to consider making a play for one of the four star shortstops on the free-agent market.
After all, the best way to replace the loss of an elite hitter at one position is often to add an elite hitter at another position. Of course, Harper is a hitter who shares a zip code with maybe three or four other players. Which means there may not be a viable solution for replacing the entirety of his production.
