Dombrowski Demands Defensive Turnaround From Phillies' Turner
Dombrowski Demands Defensive Turnaround From Phillies' Turner
Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski delivered a blunt assessment of shortstop Trea Turner's 2026 season, telling reporters at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday that Turner must improve defensively to remain at the position. "We were very clear. He knows he has to be better at shortstop. And I told him that it's really mandatory that he's like that," Dombrowski said, according to MLB.com.
Turner finished the 2026 season with -17 defensive runs saved at shortstop, the third time in his four years with Philadelphia that he has posted a negative double-digit DRS mark. Offensively, he hit .242/.297/.378 with 19 home runs, 58 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, an 81 OPS+ and -0.1 wins above replacement - all career lows over a full season. Those numbers mark a steep drop from 2025, when Turner led the National League with a .304 batting average and produced 5.4 WAR. biathlon online betting
Dombrowski said the Phillies have already shared information with Turner that they believe could help address the decline, while acknowledging the front office's own role in finding a fix. "He feels he can play, and if he plays shortstop like he did in '25, he can play shortstop. But if he plays it like he did in '26, he can't. And he totally understands that," Dombrowski said. He added that Turner has expressed willingness to shift positions if that is what the organization decides is best, though the expectation remains that he proves he can still handle shortstop.
Turner, a two-time NL batting champion and three-time All-Star, is in the fourth year of an 11-year, $300 million contract with Philadelphia. He has made 79 career starts at second base, mostly with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021, and played center field for the Washington Nationals in 2016, but has not appeared at another position besides shortstop and designated hitter since 2021. The Phillies enter the offseason after naming Don Mattingly their full-time manager on a two-year deal, following an interim stint in which he replaced the fired Rob Thomson and guided the club to a 79-55 record before a Wild Card Series exit against the Atlanta Braves. Philadelphia has not advanced past the NL Division Series since 2023.
