The Phillies’ brass certainly deserves high marks for bringing Luis Arraez into the fold at the trade deadline. Heading into Sunday’s game, Arraez was hitting .333 as a Phillie, and he had struck out just once in his first 21 at-bats.

Still, the jury may be out on relievers Brooks Raley (9.00 ERA as a Phillie) and Caleb Kilian (19.29).

Then there’s the question of the Phillies’ new defensive alignment.

There have been plenty of skeptics who believe it is too late in the season to move key pieces around the baseball chessboard, and others who believe it won’t make a difference.

So far, the Phils haven’t committed an error in their first five games with the new infield/outfield arrangement.

However, the Phillies have a defensive runs saved (DRS) mark of minus-40, the worst in the majors. They are at minus-1 at first base, minus-9 at second, minus-5 at third and minus-10 at shortstop.

But how confident are you that they have made the right moves?

Along with the Phillies, the Yankees and Mets also have made significant moves as baseball heads into its final stretch.

With two late losses to the Blue Jays, the Phils suddenly find themselves in a Wild Card race with 44 games to go.

Bohm Alone? ... Since the move, Alec Bohm has been under the most scrutiny with his glove.

Friday night, Bohm swung at the first pitch with his team down a run and the bases loaded. He hit a dribbler that produced a force out at the plate and then had a temper tantrum in the dugout.

The following night, Bohm fielded a grounder at first and hesitated to flip to reliever Chase Shugart, leading to a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning.

Bohm is hitting .224 with a .641 OPS, 17 homers and 62 RBIs. His 10 fielding errors are behind only Trea Turner’s 18 among Phillies.

He will be a free agent after the season, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Phils let him walk. They could look to re-sign Arraez, while Bryce Harper could eventually return to first base.

At 30, Bohm needs to mature, and he likely needs a change of scenery.

Plan B ... In this plan, Bohm also doesn’t fit into the team’s future.

Like I mentioned before, Turner would move to center field to flank Justin Crawford in left — his minor league position — and Brandon Marsh in right.

Bryson Stott would slide from third to short, and the Phils could shop for another infielder.

Former Phillie J.P. Crawford, 31, will be a free agent after the season, or the Phils could try to land 25-year-old Zach Neto, who will be arbitration eligible next season and has drawn interest from Boston.

Deal the Cards ... Heading into Sunday, the Phils had slipped back into the final Wild Card slot.

With the current arrangement, they would face Atlanta to open the postseason, while Chicago would meet Arizona. Milwaukee and Los Angeles would have the top seeds.

In the American League, the Yankees would meet Boston, while Chicago and Texas would tangle. Tampa Bay and Houston hold the top seeds.

The Phillies have a three-game set in Arizona at the end of the month, and they have home-and-away three-game series with Atlanta in September. They will travel to Atlanta Sept. 4-6 and host the Braves Sept. 11-13.

Coming Up Short ... Expectations are sky-high for 21-year-old Yankees rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. He already ingratiated himself with Yankees fans with a homer in his first game and appears to have the job for the foreseeable future.

Apparently, the Anthony Volpe experiment at shortstop is over after four seasons.

Volpe was sent down to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after hitting .240 in 56 games. He committed a league-high 19 errors last season and has struggled defensively during his four-year Yankees career.

Volpe hit .224 with 53 homers, 211 RBIs and 77 stolen bases during his time with the Yankees.

His rookie season in 2023 included 21 homers, 60 RBIs and 24 stolen bases, but he hit just .209.

Yet Volpe reportedly will see time at second base as a possible replacement for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who will be a free agent.

Lombard hit .248 with 26 homers, 133 RBIs and 92 stolen bases in 333 minor league games before his promotion to the Yankees.

His father, George Sr., was a journeyman major leaguer with stops in Atlanta, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Washington. He currently is Detroit’s bench coach.

Rush to Judge ... Heading into Sunday’s game, the Yankees had an overall 30-29 record without Aaron Judge in the lineup. The 34-year-old last played May 31, when he had 17 homers and 38 RBIs with a .248 average and .907 OPS in 59 games.

Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger have been out of the lineup lately, and the Yankees had averaged 2.8 runs in their previous 10 games entering Sunday.

Mets’ Magic ... Since Andy Green took over the reins, the Mets had an 18-20 record entering Sunday and recently tied a season high with a four-game winning streak.

They likely won’t contend in 2027, but the Mets are building a foundation.

Rookie outfielders Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing are establishing themselves as potential cornerstones. Benge has been the team’s starting right fielder, while Ewing was a call-up. Both also have utilized their speed in the outfield and on the basepaths.

The Mets have the makings of a promising young pitching staff, much like they did in the late 1960s and early ’70s with Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack.

Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton have emerged as young starting options, while rookie relievers Nate Lavender and Jeffry Yan have shown early promise.

The Mets, who picked up 12 prospects in their deadline deals, also are high on infielders Jefferson Rojas, Sammy Stafura and Emilien Peguero.

Green took over the Padres for the 2016 season and managed the club for four years, compiling an overall 274-366 record.

A Different Dear John Letter ... If you’re a diehard Yankees fan, you probably saw it. If not, baseball was touched recently by a letter from pitcher Tommy John.

The former White Sox, Dodgers and Yankees left-hander, who pitched for 26 seasons, issued a letter that was shared with fans during the Yankees’ Old-Timers’ Day on Aug. 8.

The 83-year-old John has battled bladder cancer and other health issues in recent years. John won 288 games during his career and underwent the groundbreaking reconstructive elbow surgery that now bears his name.

He should be considered for the Hall of Fame.

Highs and Lows ... Remember when the Phils lost a three-game set to Miami, which had dropped 12 straight?

Well, Miami has won eight of its last 13 games and climbed back into the Wild Card race.

Pittsburgh bolstered its bullpen with the acquisitions of Luke Weaver and Camilo Doval and was gunning for a postseason run. However, the Buccos have dropped 13 of their last 15. They are still within reach of a Wild Card spot.

The Pirates reportedly are interested in bringing back former Phillie Andrew McCutchen, who had his best days in the Steel City.

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will recall the career of a former local standout.

Jeff Markosky was a 1990 Marian graduate who excelled as a pitcher and hitter for the Colts. Over his four years, Markosky helped the team to an overall 55-17 record.

As a senior, Markosky went 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA, 38 strikeouts and 13 walks. The previous season, he went 9-2 with a 1.53 ERA, 112 strikeouts and just 30 walks. Overall, Markosky went 21-6.

At the plate, Markosky hit .417 overall with 78 hits, 54 RBIs, 15 doubles and seven home runs. In his senior year, Markosky hit .473 with 27 hits, 14 RBIs, three doubles and two homers.

After Marian, Markosky went on to play at St. Andrews University in North Carolina, where he was a captain for three years. He set records in innings pitched, wins, complete games and shutouts. Markosky also was a two-time Academic All-American.

He played one year for Lancaster in the Frontier League, going 3-2 with a 6.10 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 59 innings.

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