At some point, the current high-end Philadelphia Phillies prospects are going to be featured parts of the roster going forward.
Andrew Painter will make his debut this year at some point during the summer. It will take a bit longer for Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller to be called up, but the duo’s ceiling could give the Phillies something they currently don’t have.
That’s saying a lot when taking into account the level this current group has reached.
Philadelphia is in the midst of one of the best runs in franchise history, having made the World Series in 2022 to go along with a division title and three straight playoff appearances.
The hope is this trifecta of star prospects will elongate the championship window currently in place, backfilling the openings that will come once the current crop of veteran players eventually age out or depart in free agency.
Putting the puzzle pieces together will be interesting to see when that time comes, but that’s exactly what Matt Gelb of The Athletic attempted to do with his projected 2027 Opening Day lineup.
All three of Painter, Miller and Crawford are on the roster as expected, with the future ace slotted behind Wheeler in the rotation, Miller taking over at shortstop like anticipated and Crawford becoming the starting center fielder.
But that leaves the question of where Trea Turner will be moved if Miller does step into that position.
Conventional wisdom would suggest the star would shift over to second, potentially displacing Bryson Stott who had a down showing in 2024 which has raised some concerns about his viability going forward.
However, Gelb thinks Turner will move over to right field, replacing Nick Castellanos whose contract expires at the end of the 2026 campaign.
Phillies fans would probably prefer to see Kyle Tucker in that spot, but assuming they can’t land the superstar next offseason, it would be interesting to watch Turner shift from the dirt to the grass.
In his Major League career, he’s only played in the outfield during one season; his rookie year in 2016.
None of those were in right, with all 45 appearances coming in center. He also has no experience playing in the corner during his minor league career, either.
Putting Turner there would be a gamble, but it’s one that might have to happen.
His contract will keep him in the lineup if he’s healthy no matter what, and even though fans might be a bit frustrated with his output during the two seasons he’s been in Philadelphia, he’s still made an All-Star Game, had 20-plus homers twice and produced an OPS+ that’s 16 points above the league average.
Once Miller is called up, figuring out where Turner will play might be the toughest decision the front office and coaching staff has to make.
He could slide over to second base with Miller taking over shortstop, displacing Stott, or Miller could even become the third baseman like many originally expected with Stott and Turner doing a position swap.
Gelb thinks the Phillies will go with the less-discussed idea, using the star to backfill the opening that will be left behind once Castellanos departs.
