Phillies Made Right Decision Not To Move Trea Turner to Outfield

Keeping Trea Turner at shortstop, despite his struggles, was the right move for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Jul 6, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) throws to first base during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies lineup looks a lot different following the MLB trade deadline than it did going into it.

The addition of Luis Arraez will raise the floor and ceiling of the offense, providing the team with a dynamic they didn’t previously possess. In a group that is so focused on slugging, Arraez brings a contact-first approach, constantly putting the ball in play.

However, the biggest change will come defensively. Arraez made it clear he wanted to remain at second base. It was something the Phillies were willing to accommodate, but it required a lot of reshuffling.

Bryson Stott is moving over to third base with Alec Bohm going to first base. Bryce Harper is going back to right field, something he has repeatedly said he was willing to do to help the team. There are some people surprised it isn’t Trea Turner going to the outfield, but the team made the right choice to keep him at shortstop despite his struggles.

Phillies never considered moving Trea Turner from shortstop

Jul 31, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I don't think it's a situation where Trea's like, 'I'm not doing this, I'm not doing this.' But I think the Phillies understand that that has, like, significant long-term implications... Listen, I think, yeah, if you could just snap your fingers and make it happen, that's something that would make sense. You move [Bryson] Stott over to short, move Turner to the outfield to keep Bryce [Harper] at 1st base,” said Todd Zolecki during an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic, via their account on X.

That makes sense because Turner moving to the outfield needs to be discussed at length. This is a temporary move for Harper, who will almost assuredly be back at first base next season full-time with Bohm hitting free agency along with Arraez.

However, Turner could be transitioned to the outfield full-time next season, especially if the team is unable to find someone to fill the hole in right field on an everyday basis. Also, his performance defensively at shortstop has been concerningly poor.

Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) Explains Why Trea Turner Isn't Moving Off Shortstop On @975Middays:

"I don't think it's a situation where Trea's like, 'I'm not doing this, I'm not doing this.' But I think the Phillies understand that that has, like, significant long-term… pic.twitter.com/9SUkgoduv8

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) August 4, 2026

Had Philadelphia had another option to play there, such as top prospect Aidan Miller, maybe the change would have been made. Miller, a first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, is a potential long-term answer at shortstop, so moving Turner off the spot would be plausible.

No such option exists currently. Stott has played shortstop in the past, but wouldn’t be a long-term answer there, with Miller waiting in the wings.

“I just think that the Phillies are sensitive to what that might mean, and I know that's not gonna be an answer that makes anybody happy. I get it, I understand that. I just think that that is a conversation that they are going to have more so in the offseason moving forward than they wanted to have right now. So, that's kind of why I think that was a non-starter. I don't think it was a situation where they went to, to Trea and said, 'Would you be willing to move out to center field or move out to right field?' I just don't think that that was something that was brought up right now. But I think it will be something that they talk about in the offseason moving forward,” Zolecki added.

Turner has -11 Total Defensive Runs Saved this season, which is tied for the fifth-worst mark in all of baseball. That is the lowest number amongst shortstops, with Brooks Lee of the Minnesota Twins being second-worst at -9. His -8 Fielding Run Value is in the fourth percentile.

Moving Turner off shortstop is something that certainly needs to be considered in the future, but the time for such a decision was not now.

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