Feb 19, 2025; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) signs autographs for fans during spring training workouts at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski joined the Sportsradio 94 WIP morning show on Thursday. During a wide-ranging discussion, Dombrowski expressed some interesting thoughts about Phillies SS Trea Turner:
"When we signed [Turner], we signed him as a shortstop. And we told him that he would be our shortstop, and we felt that way. But if we don't think Trea Turner is capable of playing good shortstop--and you have to remember it's defense and offense that combines there, too--no, we'd move him off of shortstop. That would be the way it is. Now he wouldn't per se like it, we wouldn't just wake up one day and say we're movin' ya. You do the proper steps. But no, there's no promise that he would be our shortstop for the future."
TREA TURNER BOOTS THE JOSH BELL GROUNDER. GAME TIED AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/NtR8Mgou0k
Dombrowski's comments are interesting on a number of levels.
It had been widely assumed among Phillies observers that Turner is locked in at the SS position, despite defensive metrics indicating that he's one of the worst-fielding shortstops in baseball. Turner posted negative 14 "defensive runs saved above average" according to Fangraphs in 2024, the second-lowest figure among all MLB players at the position. Prior to Thursday's discussion, however, many believed that the Phillies promised Turner that he would play his preferred position throughout the course of the 11-year, $300 million contract he signed in December 2022.
But if the Phils are open to moving Turner around the field, they unlock a tremendous amount of flexibility in their lineup. In addition to shortstop, Turner has experience at second base (91 career games) and center field (45 games).
Were Turner to move to the outfield, he could be the right-handed OF bat the team has been looking for among the Wes Wilsons and Austin Hayses of the world. The offense suddenly wouldn't be as reliant on Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler's ability to hit lefty pitching, or on Johan Rojas' development at the plate. Edmundo Sosa, for example, could handle a middle infield position on some days with Turner in center or left.
Edmundo Sosa looking like Spider-Man on the tag pic.twitter.com/MHsdM3JUdJ
Some have also floated the idea of Turner swapping positions with sure-handed second baseman Bryson Stott to bolster the Phils' defense. Highly-touted prospect Aidan Miller, who has risen through the organization as a SS, may be able to stay there rather than transitioning to a 3B role. And the universe of free agent/trade targets available to the Phillies would greatly expand if the club is willing to move Turner around the field.
"I don't want to jinx it, but he looks like a big league shortstop out there right now."
The @Phillies' Aidan Miller (MLB No. 54) earned high praise after a big offensive night for the @Threshers: https://t.co/nh2odDAhVh pic.twitter.com/RJH0mkv0tg
Turner's contract with the Phillies takes him through the 2033 season.
