Finding the Next Phillies Shortstop for the Phillies Roster

The 2022 Phillies Shortstops

This past year, the Phillies started the season with Didi Gregorius manning the position. However, Didi"s incredibly disappointing tenure was mercifully ended when he was released early into the summer. The next person to man the position was rookie Bryson Stott, who unfortunately struggled a bit, slashing .234/.295/.358 and went hitless in 18 World Series plate apperances.

While the Phillies roster will hope for a bounce back season from Stott in 2023, they do have the option of potentially shifting him to second base, with incumbent Jean Segura, who also struggled in the Post Season, set to hit free agency.

The Potential Next Phillies Shortstops

Heading into 2023, multiple impactful shortstops find themselves hitting the free agent market. With an owner and head of baseball operations who are willing to spend, the Phillies have found themselves squarely in the mix for one of Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, Xander Bogaerts and Carlos Correa.

Trea Turner

According to recent reports, the Phillies are currently the front runner for the former National and Dodger middle infielder. As one of the fastest players in baseball, Trea Turner would be able to replace the speed element lost by losing Segura.

Furthermore, Turner"s ability to play both middle infield positions at a high level would give options to either keep Stott at short or move him to second. His positional flexibility and high batting average would make him a very versatile hitter at the top of the Phillies roster.

Dansby Swanson

Of all the names, Dansby Swanson would probably be the least splashiest and might be an option if the Phillies roster misses out on one of the bigger names. However, as one of the top defensive shortstops in baseball, Swanson would significantly help the Phillies defense.

Swanson couldn"t have picked a better time for a career year, posting his highest batting average and second highest home run totals while picking up his first National League Gold Glove. However, any offensive regression might see his contract become a bit of an albatross, especially combined with his tendency to strike out.

Xander Bogaerts

The Dave Dombrowski connection has made the potential soon to be former Red Sox shortstop seem like a natural fit for the Phillies roster. Xander Bogaerts has turned into a really solid all-around player, especially on the defensive side where he has made noticeable improvements, to become a slightly above average defender.

Bogaerts also has value at the plate. While he likely will never approach the 33 home runs he hit in 2019, his high batting average and on-base percentage would make him a key player batting ahead of the Phillies power bats. One concern, he is approaching his age 30 season and might start to regress defensively sooner rather than later.

Carlos Correa

The final, next potential Phillies shortstop, once manned the position for the team that just beat the Phillies in the World Series. After moving to Minnesota this past season, Carlos Correa boosted his average while maintaining his home runs and high defensive play.

The biggest concern for Correa will always be his availability, or lack thereof. Since 2016, he has only appeared in over 140 games once, in 2021. He did play a nearly full season in the Covid-shortened 2020 and played in 130+ games this past year, but Correa has spent a significant time on the injured list.

Looking Forward

It feels like it is only a matter of time before the next Phillies shortstop is added to the Phillies roster. Yes, the team will have to spend to do it but with the likes of Bryce Harper and Zach Wheeler on the roster, the team would be foolish not to do everything they could to set up another World Series run.

Getting to add a better bat and glove should be a no brainer for this franchise. Let us know in the comments below who you think should be the next Phillies shortstop!

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