Phillies offseason roster decisions hinge on Bryce Harper heart-to-heart

The Philadelphia Phillies saw their season come to an end on Tuesday night in Game 7 of the NLCS when they lost 4-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are set to represent the National League in this year's World Series.

Last season, it was the Phillies who reached the Fall Classic and fell short in six games against the Houston Astros. However, their season is now over, and they are now focused on building for 2024.

Bryce Harper made his return from Tommy John surgery and was used primarily as a designated hitter and first baseman. Prior to his elbow injury in 2022, the veteran slugger was the team's right fielder.

According to Matt Gelb, who covers the Phillies for The Athletic, the team's strategy for offseason moves on the offensive side depends entirely on whether or not Harper will stay at first base or return to the outfield.

"I don't know what's going to happen with Bryce," said general manager Dave Dombrowski. "We need to sit down with Bryce and ask him what his preference is. Sit down with a heart-to-heart on what he wants to do. How he would like to approach it going forward. So I don't know what he's going to do yet at this time, but it is something that we'll have to do relatively soon because we'll have to know what types of moves we're going to make."

What's next for Bryce Harper?

It is unclear as to what is next for the three-time MVP. Should Harper move back to the outfield, that would allow Rhys Hoskins a chance to reclaim his spot at first base. Hoskins missed the entire 2023 season due to a torn ACL he suffered in spring training.

But if Harper remains at first base, the Phillies will have to find something to do with Hoskins. They could potentially keep Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in the outfield and use Hoskins as a DH.

At the same time, Hoskins has played the outfield some during his career, so a move back to the outfield is also possible. This could also open the door for a trade involving Hoskins at some point in the near future.