Phillies

Don Mattingly Says Phillies Did Not Consider Moving Trea Turner to the Outfield

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Aug 3rd, 2026 · 4:22 PM EDT

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Don Mattingly after the Phils traded for Luis Arraez and a couple of bullpen arms:

Don Mattingly confirmed that Bryce Harper will be going back to right field.

Harper to RF, Bohm to 1B, Stott to 3B, Arraez to 2B.

All three of the Phillies acquisitions from earlier today will report to the team on Tuesday.

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) August 3, 2026

Don Mattingly said that there was zero consideration of moving Trea Turner to the outfield midseason.

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) August 3, 2026

It is objectively funny to think about every infielder except for Trea Turner moving to a new position. Turner has 18 errors on 388 chances this season, which is a .954 fielding percentage. 2025 was clearly an aberration. He’s 40th among 42 qualified MLB shortstops in fielding percentage this season, ahead of only Tristan Gray and Jim Jarvis. That’s for SS with 100 chances minimum.

So in comes Arraez, which moves three guys to different positions. Theoretically, you could have just thrown Turner into the outfield and moved Stott over, which would have left Bohm and Harper in their current spots. Neither of those two is so good in the corner infield that they absolutely had to stay in their spots, but it’s a lot of upheaval for one player, and while upheaval is probably good for the Phillies at the current moment, it does feel silly that the upheaval is taking place around Turner while the ground below him is flat. Figuratively speaking.

For an Eagles comparison, it would be like moving both safeties and a corner into new positions while Izel Jenkins remains in his spot.