The Philadelphia Phillies have a lot of thinking to do in the offseason, with some notable spots in their infield depth chart opening up, as Alec Bohm and Luis Arraez are expected to hit free agency, following the expiration of their respective contracts. While Philadelphia's front office could go out into the free agent market to find a fix for either spot, their lies an internal contender: Aidan Miller.
Miller has been one of the Phillies' hottest prospects for some time since getting selected with the 27th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, rising through the system, starting in the Florida Clearwater League, to the heights of Triple-A action in Lehigh Valley. But this last season presented the Phillies' prospect with a new challenge: a serious back injury that kept him off the field for most of the season.
Miller would return to the diamond in the last weeks of the minor league season, making some appearances for the Reading Fightin Phils, en route to their championship run. But he's been active in the offseason thus far, playing in the Arizona Fall League as he looks to make up for some lost time, and according to a recent interview, he's feeling much better.
Miller's health update
In a recent interview with MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, Miller talked about his progress back to the field, explaining that he's in good shape in the moment.
"I had a couple of setbacks with the back and couldn't really get into a good spot and then finally did, and I feel great now," Miller explained. "I didn't know if I'd be playing this year and to be where I'm at right now feeling 100 percent, kind of feel like myself again, it's really nice."
It's apparent that Miller is back to firing on all cylinders, as he has been tearing up the Arizona Fall League, slashing .550/.700/.833 through his opening four games, with two RBIs and seven walks chalked up there. One thing to point out about his stellar batting average is that it's the second-highest throughout the whole league, only trailing Welbyn Francisca's .556, who is a part of the Cleveland Guardians' prospect pipeline.
For now, Miller's development throughout the offseason will be something to keep an eye on, especially with how he could potentially fit in the Phillies' plans for the season to come, with his ETA to the MLB being set for 2027, according to MiLB.com.
