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Philadelphia's infield underwent a dramatic reshuffling at the trade deadline, with three players shifting positions to make room for Luis Arraez. Bryson Stott moved to third base, Alec Bohm crossed the diamond to first, and Bryce Harper headed to right field. Trea Turner remained the sole constant at shortstop. The overhaul, designed to accommodate a two-month rental, ultimately backfired. Arraez's production declined in Philadelphia, and a left ankle sprain kept him off the Wild Card Series roster. In their first-round loss to Atlanta, the Phillies moved Stott back to second base and started Edmundo Sosa at third.
Looking ahead to 2027, the group could look vastly different. Arraez, Bohm, and Sosa are all slated to hit free agency. On Thursday, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski indicated he expects Harper to return to a primary first-base role, though occasional outfield work remains possible, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Dombrowski also mentioned the team hopes to utilize Kyle Schwarber more frequently at first base, which would allow manager Don Mattingly to give Harper semi-rest days at designated hitter. Turner will begin 2027 as the starting shortstop, but the Phillies have made it clear that status is not guaranteed for the entire season, per The Associated Press.
Defensive Expectations Made Clear
Dombrowski did not mince words about Turner's defensive shortcomings. "From a defensive perspective, we were very clear. He knows he has to be better at shortstop," Dombrowski said. "I told him it's really mandatory that it's like that. You cannot play shortstop like you did defensively in '26 going to '27." Turner, 33, is coming off the worst season of his career, struggling on both sides of the ball. His .242/.297/.378 slash line represented personal lows across the board, aside from his 2015 rookie season when he barely played. While he still hit 19 home runs and scored over 100 runs, much of that was opportunity-driven as the Phillies kept him in the top two spots of the order. Turner started 156 games and was one of 14 players to reach 700+ plate appearances.
The Phillies were even more concerned about his defensive performance. Turner tied Miami's Otto Lopez for the MLB lead with 21 errors. He ranked last among shortstops with -17 Defensive Runs Saved and was fifth from the bottom at the position with a -8 Outs Above Average grade. To his credit, Turner cleaned things up later in the season, committing just one error in September. Still, the overall performance raised questions about how long he might remain at the position. Turner's defense began to trend downward in 2023-24, rebounded with a strong 2025 season, and then dropped off again this year. He graded well on balls hit to his right but made far too many mistakes when coming in or covering up the middle. He hasn't lost foot speed and has never had a strong arm, so his athleticism hasn't disappeared. The Phillies will need more consistency from the position, and moving him to the outfield midseason remains a fair consideration if he continues to be error-prone.
Sosa was the only player other than Turner to start games at shortstop this year. Top prospect Aidan Miller battled back issues and missed virtually the entire season. He is now healthy and playing in the Arizona Fall League to recover some lost reps, seeing time at third base so far. Bryan Rincon, 22, had a huge year in Double-A and will be added to the 40-man roster this winter. The Phillies will presumably want to expose him to Triple-A pitching first but could bring him up midseason. Assuming they don't retain Bohm or Arraez, the Phillies will need to add at least one infielder from outside the organization.
Stott is entering his final year of arbitration control and is a plus defender at second base. He can play either position on the left side of the infield but fits best at second. Miller could play his way into the everyday third-base job out of camp, but the team would still need a better utility option than Otto Kemp. A multi-positional player like Mauricio Dubon would be an ideal fit. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ha-Seong Kim are lower-end utility types available in free agency, or the Phillies could target someone like Willi Castro or Jared Triolo via trade.
Philadelphia's overall team defense has been an issue for years. They finished 22nd in Outs Above Average and tied the Athletics for last in Defensive Runs Saved this past season. Mattingly identified that as a priority immediately after being hired as full-time skipper. "Defense is just a premium. It's an area that I really would like to push," he told reporters in a Zoom session this week. "That's going to need to start this offseason."
Originally reported by yardbarker.