Dave Dombrowski has made Trea Turner’s next step plain: the Phillies are keeping him at shortstop to start 2027, but that spot isn’t guaranteed unless the defense sharpens up.
The Philadelphia president of baseball operations laid out the message Thursday, and it wasn’t subtle. Turner’s name still belongs at shortstop for now, but the Phillies want to see a much cleaner version of the 33-year-old after a rough 2026 season that dragged his overall value down on both sides of the ball.
Turner’s bat never fully settled. Over 157 regular-season games, he hit .242 with a .297 on-base percentage and a .378 slugging percentage. His .675 OPS was the lowest he has posted in a full season since his rookie year, and he finished with 19 home runs, 58 RBIs and a career-low minus-0.1 bWAR.
The defense was even harder to ignore. Turner led MLB with 21 errors, and Statcast had him at minus-10 Outs Above Average, the worst mark of his career.
He also finished at minus-nine fielding run value and tied for the major league low with minus-17 defensive runs saved. Baseball Savant ranked him in the bottom sixth percentile in fielding run value and the bottom third percentile in fielding range.
Dombrowski said he told Turner directly that his defense has to improve if he’s going to keep the job. Turner, according to Dombrowski, owned the issue, took responsibility for what happened and has already started working on his swing. His postseason didn’t offer much relief either, with just one hit in 13 plate appearances.
There’s also the contract reality sitting in the background. Turner signed an 11-year, $300 million deal in 2023 and still has six years left on it. Dombrowski said he discussed a possible position change with him, but Turner wants to stay in the infield.
For the Phillies, the ask is obvious: they need more from the shortstop position as they try to bounce back after winning only one playoff game before being knocked out for the third straight season.
Even with the down year, Turner’s career résumé still stands out. In 1,423 MLB games, he has hit .291 with 205 home runs and 699 RBIs, along with two batting titles, a Silver Slugger award and three All-Star selections.
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