October 15, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Trea Turner will be a Phillie next season, but his future at shortstop isn't guaranteed.
Trea Turner will be the Phillies' shortstop again in 2027 – until he isn't.
Dave Dombrowski, team president of baseball operations, said Thursday in his annual end of season press conference that he and Turner talked shortly after the season to discuss the shortstop's future after Turner led Major League Baseball in errors for the second time in four seasons.
Dombrowksi said he had a lengthy meeting with his $300 million infielder and told Turner that he would need to prove that he should still be the shortstop going forward.
"From a defensive perspective we are very clear – he knows he has to be better at shortstop," Dombrowski said. "I told him it's really mandatory that he's like that. If he plays shortstop like he did in '25, he can play shortstop. But if he plays like he did in '26, he can't. He totally understands that. We've already given him some information that we think is helpful."
The Phillies have already hired a new infield coach, former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, and Dombrowski said Turner has already started working since the end of the season on both his swing – Turner also had a terrible offensive season – and his fielding.
Dombrowski didn't truly commit to Turner playing shortstop by the season opener. He said Turner would immediately be evaluated at spring training and mentioned having "fallback" options in place if Turner fails to secure the job.
Options he named during his hour-long press conference were Bryson Stott and top prospect Aidan Miller, who has played multiple infield spots, along with potentially "other additions we may make this winter time."
Asked directly if Turner would at least be the top shortstop option going into 2027 until proven otherwise, Dombrowski didn't fully commit.
"At this point but we'll see," he said. "It's up to him to show us he can do it. But we'll have fallback opportunities and some of it may come back to young guys we have."
The likeliest other position for Turner is outfield, where Turner played 45 games for the Nationals in 2016, his second year in the majors. Dombrowski said Turner is open to whatever plan the Phillies will have for him.
"He is very willing to if he doesn't play shortstop do whatever is best for the Philadelphia Phillies organization," Dombrowski said. "That's how we left it with him. He is determined to show he can play it. I said, 'You have to show it, you cannot play shortstop like do you did defensively in '26 going into '27.'"
Turner, a three-time All Star, flew back to Florida after the Phillies bowed out to the Braves in the NL Wild Card series but came back to Philly shortly after to have a long, face-to-face meeting with Dombrowski.
In that meeting, Dombrowski said the two chatted about Turner's future and how to improve both offensively and defensively. Turner has been very streaky since signing an 11-year, $300-million deal in 2023.
Here are his offensive and defensive stats since he joined the Phillies:
| Offense | Fielding | |
| 2023 | .266/.320/.459, 26 HR, 76 RBI | 23 errors, .960 |
| 2024 | .295/.338/.469 21 HR, 62 RBI | 17 errors, .962 |
| 2025 | .304/.355/.457 15 HR, 69 RBI | 8 errors, .984 |
| 2026 | .242/.297/.378 19 HR, 58 RBI | 21 errors, .963 |
Dombrowski said Turner was very candid about his own shortcomings this past season.
"It's a situation where Trea does not think he had a good season offensively or defensively," Dombrowski said. "He takes complete accountability, he did not have a good year."
Dombrowski said he believes Turner can "bounce back" offensively and talked about the 33-year-old's "quick-twitch" muscles that were among the top reasons they targeted Turner in free agency four years ago, believing Turner's athleticism would hold up over the 11-year deal.
Defensively, though, Dombrowski laid down the gauntlet – get better or go elsewhere in the field.
Dombrowski was later asked how Turner would handle the fan scrutiny and pressure of knowing every ground ball at Clearwater next spring will be a referendum on him.
Answered Dombrowski: "I think in Trea's case he'll work hard, he'll be open-minded and we'll just have to make the best decision in that regard – depending on what position he plays."
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