3 Bryce Harper Replacements That Won't Break the Bank

The Philadelphia Phillies received terrible news over the weekend when star player Bryce Harper broke his thumb, resulting in an appearance on the 10-day injured list. It's since been revealed that he'll require surgery, sidelining him for up to six weeks, according to NBC Sports' Jim Salisbury.

The Phillies are just three games back of the final National League wild card spot and can't afford to take their foot off the gas. That's why it makes sense for general manager Rob Thomson to explore his trade options.

Here are three Harper replacements the Phillies should target that won't break the bank.

Phillies Trade Rumors

1. Robbie Grossman, Detroit Tigers

A combination of an expiring contract and a down season makes Robbie Grossman an affordable target for Philadelphia. After recording 23 home runs in 156 games last season, the Detroit Tigers outfielder has just two in 57 contests in 2022 while slashing .214/.316/.281. Having said that, the switch-hitter has turned things around in his last eight games, recording seven RBIs and both of his HRs while batting .333 over that stretch. It's a small sample size, but it shows that Grossman could be on the bounce back. His trade value is likely still low, though, meaning the Phillies should jump on him before another team does.

2. Tony Kemp, Oakland Athletics

With the Oakland Athletics likely being sellers, Tony Kemp is one name that the Phillies should make a call about. The 30-year-old is another example of a buy-low candidate as he's struggled this year, recording two HRs and 12 RBIs while batting .223 in 69 games this season. Nevertheless, Kemp proved to have potential last year and moving on to a better team could motivate him to bounce back. Though the Franklin, TN native predominately played second base this season, he's also more than capable of spending time in the outfield, where he has a .997 field percentage in 1,602 career innings. Plus, he's under team control in 2023 before becoming a free agent in the following year.

3. Chad Pinder, Oakland Athletics

Kemp isn't the only Athletics outfielder that the Phillies might be interested in. Chad Pinder could also be a decent replacement until Harper returns from injury. The former second-round pick has never been the biggest threat at the plate, but he's on pace for double-digit HR totals after homering five times in 52 games thus far. Not only can Pinder keep Harper's spot warm, but he can also fill in wherever the Phillies need him, having played innings at every position except catcher in his Major-League career. Throw in the fact that he's also on an expiring deal and Philadelphia likely won't need to break the bank to acquire him.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.