The Philadelphia Phillies had one of the best stretches in baseball after they fired manager Rob Thomson.
However, the magic has seemingly run out as the Trade Deadline approaches. The Phillies have lost nine of their last 12 games and are losing in plenty of different ways.
First baseman Bryce Harper has publicly pleaded for external help. It’s no secret that the Phillies need a right-handed outfield bat.
But with the outfield trade market depth lacking, it’s possible the Phillies internally fill an outfield spot.
Cole Weintraub of NBC Sports Philadelphia came up with an interesting idea to move struggling shortstop Trea Turner to left field. He would platoon with Brandon Marsh, and the team would acquire San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez.
Why Would the Philadelphia Phillies Do This?
Turner has been one of the worst defensive shortstops in baseball this year. He has already committed a league-high 19 errors. He has -8 Outs Above Average, according to Baseball Savant.
This is a shocking decline after posting +17 OAA in 2025. So, we’ve established that Turner is not up to the challenge of playing shortstop this year. But why would they move him to the outfield?
Turner has played 45 career games in center field, but has not played in the outfield since his rookie year in 2016, and has never played corner outfield.
As unlikely as this would be mid-season, it’s an interesting proposition.
Marsh, after leading the Phillies with a .300+ average and making the All-Star Game, has struggled immensely to start the second half. He was showing early in the season that he didn’t need a platoon after years of having one.
Since then, he has come back down to Earth, with a .146/.222/.220 slash line in July. Against lefties, he is slashing .234/.272/.374 this year but has gotten worse over the last month.
Against lefties, Turner is slashing .218/.298/.324 this year. So, in theory, this wouldn’t be a good platoon.
What About the Infield?
If the Phillies were to move Turner to the outfield, what happens to the infield?
Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott would slide over to shortstop. Stott is currently one of the best second basemen in the game from a defensive standpoint with a +5 OAA.
If the Phillies were to acquire Arraez from San Francisco, it would be a major package. But it would be worth it for a team that has struggled to find a true contact hitter.
Arraez would be the batting champion if the season ended today with a .331 average. He doesn’t walk a lot or slug for much power, but he also doesn’t strike out and is a tough out in general. He also has improved his defense immensely with a +10 OAA, making him one of the best fielders in baseball.
Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto could also be an option, but would come with a hefty price tag. That price tag could include Aidan Miller and/or Andrew Painter.
Could help be coming for Bryce Harper and the Phillies? We’ll see what president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has in store for the team this Trade Deadline.
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