PHILADELPHIA -- Dave Dombrowski talked last week about how the Phillies hope to improve a roster that is top heavy with high-priced talents like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola.
Their salaries (and, for most, their full no-trade rights) figure to limit Dombrowski’s options, unless he decides to trade somebody like Sánchez or Luzardo, which is something he said he has no plan on doing, because starting pitching is the team’s strength.
“We need to complement those guys with some other players,” Dombrowski said. “So that will be our goal. Some of them may come internally. I'm not going to put it on his back, but we think a guy like Aidan Miller is a really, really good player.”
Miller is the Phillies’ No. 2 prospect and No. 59 overall, according to MLB Pipeline. The shortstop/third baseman missed almost the entire 2026 season because of an injured back, but last month he played one game with Single-A Clearwater and seven with Double-A Reading, including two in the Eastern League Championship Series against Erie.
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Miller went 2-for-4 with one double, one RBI and one walk in Reading’s series-clinching victory on Sept. 22.
“Seeing the competitiveness of that locker room and how close they were, it’s something that I want to be a part of,” Miller said this week on The Phillies Show.
Miller is batting .333 (8-for-24) with two doubles, one triple, three RBIs and a 1.100 OPS in eight games with Surprise in the Arizona Fall League as of Thursday. He said he’s feeling great, and observers in Arizona report no signs of a nagging back injury.
His performance and health make it easier to picture him playing for the Phillies early next season.
“You see all the young players that have jumped into playing this year and the years that they had,” Dombrowski said. “Aidan Miller, when he’s healthy, he's as good as any of them.”
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The Phillies have a few decisions to make about their 2027 infield first. First, Turner’s future at shortstop is tenuous. Dombrowski issued an ultimatum early last week: play considerably better at shortstop or change positions.
If Turner isn’t the shortstop, who is?
It could be Bryson Stott, who played shortstop for the 2022 NL champions. It could be somebody outside the organization. The free-agent shortstop class is weak, however, with Mauricio Dubón, 32, and J.P. Crawford, 32, leading the way.
But Phillies manager Don Mattingly said last week that he wants to improve the team’s defense. Turner had -10 Outs Above Average last season, which ranked 39th out of 42 qualified shortstops. Dubón (+6 OAA) is the only one of those five shortstops mentioned above that graded as a plus defender. Jeremy Peña (-6), Zach Neto (-8) Crawford (-13) and CJ Abrams (-17) were well below average.
Miller is considered a solid shortstop, but he might end up at third base because Alec Bohm is a free agent.
Miller is playing exclusively at third base this fall, but it’s mostly because he was a late addition to Surprise’s roster, which already had shortstops on it. Playing third is a way for Miller to get at-bats.
And it’s Miller’s performance at the plate that will push him to the big leagues. He has 15 walks and nine strikeouts in the AFL for a .600 on-base percentage entering Thursday. Miller has a .384 on-base percentage in four Minor League seasons.
“I’m always on the fastball,” Miller said about his approach to hitting. “I’m a pretty picky hitter when it comes to what I swing at, where I swing. I’ll look at the scouting report on the pitcher. I’m not too analytical about what guys throw and all that. I’m pretty much -- be on the heater and adjust. Hit a line drive to center field. I’m almost too picky sometimes, where I’ll take some pitches that I should’ve swung at. But for the most part, I like to work at-bats.
“Just be on the fastball and adjust. That’s always worked for me so far. That might change in a couple years, but for now, be on the fastball and hit a line drive to center field. … I need to be dumb up there. The less thinking, the better for me.”
If dumb means selective and effective, the Phillies would love more hitters like that in the lineup.