The Phillies head into the winter with plenty to sort through, and Trea Turner sits right at the center of it.
Philadelphia’s 2026 season ended with a loss to the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Round, and while the club recovered from a rough start well enough to reach the postseason, the year still came up short of expectations. One of the biggest reasons was the offense’s inconsistency. Too many key bats went cold at the wrong time, and Turner was among the players who never really found steady footing.
For a player signed to be a cornerstone, the numbers were hard to ignore. Turner hit .242/.297/.378 with 19 home runs, 58 RBI, and 21 stolen bases.
He appeared in 157 games and stayed on the field, but availability didn’t translate into the kind of production the Phillies needed. His OPS sat below .700, and it marked the first time since 2015 - when he appeared in 27 games with the Washington Nationals - that his slash line dipped that low.
That kind of drop would be concerning for any hitter. For a 33-year-old shortstop, it becomes a bigger issue. The Phillies signed Turner when he was one of the best shortstops in the league, but this season raised real questions about where he is now and what comes next.
The bat wasn’t the only problem. Turner’s defense also slipped, adding another layer to Philadelphia’s dilemma.
Because of that regression at one of the game’s most important positions, a move to the outfield could make sense. The Phillies also have a need for a right-handed bat there, which gives that possibility some logic.
Even so, the contract looms over everything. Turner is due to make more than $27 million per season for the next seven years, and it already looks like a deal that could age poorly. Philadelphia can’t change that reality now, but it does have to get as much value from him as possible going forward.
That may not be as the everyday starting shortstop. For the Phillies, the options are limited, and the Turner decision is quickly becoming one of the winter’s biggest problems.
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