3 Post-lockout moves the Phillies need to make immediately

3. The Phillies need to square up their shortstop situation

The last Gold Glove shortstop the Phillies had was Jimmy Rollins who won four between 2007-2012. He’s also their only Silver Slugger shortstop in franchise history, earning honors in 2007.

Didi Gregorius is a far cry from Rollins and his fellow Phillies Gold Glove shortstops, Larry Bowa, Ruben Amaro Sr., and Bobby Wine. His 2021 batting average was nearly 80 points lower than it had been in 2020, he set several career-worsts at the plate, and only three shortstops around the game had worse marks in defensive runs saved.

There are several big shortstop talents on the free-agent market, but the Phillies should be looking inward instead and readying Bryson Stott. Despite how quickly he’s risen through their system since being drafted in 2019, president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, seems confident that the franchise’s top infield prospect can make the transition to the big leagues. In fact, he told Stott to come to Spring Training with the mindset of trying to make the major-league roster.

Asking to upgrade all the way to Gold Gloving and Silver Slugging is a bit of a reach, but the Phillies do need to make a change if they want to be taken seriously next year. Stott could be the low-cost, club-controlled, homegrown shortstop talent the Phillies have been waiting for.