The Phillies Need To Solve Their Infield Puzzle This Offseason
Free agency, positional changes, and rising infield prospects have set the stage for an interesting offseason in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Phillies are going to have to make a series of tough choices and decisions as they head into the offseason. They’re going to have to decide how to revamp the bullpen. Philadelphia will have to solve its never-ending outfield problems. Perhaps none of these decisions are more complicated than figuring out what their infield will look like in 2027.
The club shuffled around its infield at this season’s trade deadline by acquiring Luis Arraez and reworked its entire defensive alignment to make it work. The biggest takeaway from their new-look defense is that Bryson Stott is more than capable of playing the hot corner.
The Phillies have contractual decisions that need to be made. Both Arraez and Alec Bohm are set to head to free agency this offseason. It’s very likely they let both of those players walk. Edmundo Sosa, a reliable utility player, is also hitting the market.
Philadelphia also has to consider moving $300 million shortstop Trea Turner. In 2025, Turner was a Gold Glove candidate but regressed to poor defensive numbers during the 2026 season. The club will have to decide if he makes the full-time move to second base or potentially the outfield.
The organization also has two highly touted infield prospects knocking on the door in Bryan Rincon and Aidan Miller.
Bohm and Arraez’s Free Agency
The first step in the Phillies’ offseason is deciding what to do with impending free agents Luis Arraez and Alec Bohm. Both were everyday players in the club’s infield and are due for fairly big paydays this offseason.
Philadelphia is very likely to be on the hunt for outfield help this winter, and it also has to decide if it wants to keep Bryce Harper in right field or move him back to first base. If Harper does make the move back to the infield, Bohm’s chances of staying take a big hit. Bryson Stott will likely stick at third base, and Harper back at first leaves Bohm as the odd man out.
In terms of Arraez, his time with the Phillies left a lot to be desired. He hit .278 with a .678 OPS and posted just an 82 wRC+ as a Phillie. Letting Arraez walk gives the club more flexibility to move Stott or Turner over to second base, opening up the left side of the diamond for their upcoming prospects or making room for a trade acquisition.
Jeff Passan floated the idea of the Phillies making a move for Zach Neto at this year’s trade deadline. Philadelphia will certainly be on the hunt for right-handed bats, and a move for Neto would ensure that Bohm and Arraez land elsewhere for 2027.
Time To Move Trea Turner From Shortstop
Philadelphia was hopeful it would get a similar output from Trea Turner this season as it did in 2025, but that was not the case. In 2025, Turner posted a 123 wRC+ while playing an elite defensive shortstop. In 2026, he did neither of those things.
Prior to Turner’s 2025 Gold Glove-level performance, he had not played a very good defensive shortstop since the 2018 season in Washington. In 2025, he logged 2 DRS and 16 OAA, the best mark of his career.
His 2025 performance was remarkable considering his -14 DRS and -3 OAA in the 2024 season. However, even with his poor defensive numbers in the first two seasons of his Phillies career, the club was willing to live with it because of his offensive production. Following the 2026 season, that factor has changed.
If a shortstop is poor defensively but posts a wRC+ higher than 120, a club can live with keeping him there to preserve the mental aspect of his game. After a season in which Turner hit .242 with just a .675 OPS and an 83 wRC+, the Phillies are faced with a difficult decision.
Turner had -10 OAA this season, which puts him in the third percentile, according to Baseball Savant. With two shortstop prospects on the doorstep of the big leagues, the Phillies are going to have to decide where they want Turner playing in 2027 and beyond.
Whether Bryce Harper moves back to first base or not, the Phillies will have an outfield problem. Turner has not played the outfield since 2016, but his speed makes that an option. It’s possible the Phillies decide to slide him over to second base and keep Bryson Stott at third base, while leaving the door open at shortstop for Rincon and Miller.
Bryan Rincon and Aidan Miller Knocking On the Door
The Phillies’ farm system is not very impressive, but Aidan Miller and Bryan Rincon look poised to make an impact and are not far away. The organization’s two shortstops are just 22 years old and are knocking on the door for a role in the Phillies’ infield in 2027.
Miller, Just Baseball’s No. 33-ranked prospect, had a remarkable 2025 campaign. He spent the majority of the season in Double-A Reading, where he hit .259 with an .809 OPS and 13 homers. He had a slow start that year, but his second half showed why he’s the Phillies’ best prospect.
The Phillies sent Miller to Triple-A for a cup of coffee with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to cap off 2025, and he hit .333 with a 1.033 OPS in eight games. Miller swiped 59 bags on the season.
Unfortunately, Miller was sidelined for most of the 2026 season with a back injury. He played three regular-season games with Reading and four postseason games to help deliver an Eastern League title. Miller looked good in his very small sample this season, putting him in position to compete for a roster spot in 2027.
The highest riser in the Phillies’ system this year was shortstop Bryan Rincon. Philadelphia knew it had a special, MLB-level glove in Rincon, but it was unsure of what his bat would produce.
Rincon spent the entire 2025 season in High-A Jersey Shore, where he hit just .181 with a .602 OPS. The switch-hitting infielder had to become a much more productive hitter if he wanted to make a run at the Phillies’ roster in the upcoming seasons.
This season, Rincon did not disappoint at the plate:
Considering the Phillies have raved about his ability to play a strong defensive shortstop, and he finally posted some eye-popping offensive numbers, it’s very likely he factors into Philadelphia’s infield plans for 2027.
Become a Member of Just Baseball
Subscribe and upgrade to go ad-free!
* Save 25% by subscribing annually.
Written by
Chris is a contributor at Just Baseball, specializing in Phillies and prospect coverage. Chris is from Central Jersey and a recent Rutgers University graduate. You can…