​Trea Turner has shown signs of returning to form at the plate, though his slugging remains a work in progress, and his defense is a major concern for the Phillies. At the outset of the season, Turner hit .223 through 58 games with a .622 OPS. Since June 1, he has posted a .274/.310/.393 slash line, a notable improvement even if it isn’t the level the team hoped for. He’s at least not an automatic out anymore, but his defense has been far from acceptable all year.
Turner’s defensive numbers are glaring: a minus-nine Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-six Outs Above Average. Outside of the 2025 season, his defense at shortstop has been a bottom-tier issue for the Phillies. Given that, the organization should at least consider moving him to the outfield. Turner remains one of the game’s elite athletes, and his speed could allow him to cover substantial ground in the grass. He has prior experience there, having played 45 games in center field for the Washington Nationals early in his career.
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Over the past three seasons, Turner’s bat was so strong that the Phillies were willing to tolerate defensive shortcomings at shortstop. Now, with batting deemed average and the need for increased production from the outfield, the status quo feels untenable. The Phillies may not have a clearly superior offensive replacement at shortstop right now, but Turner’s defense simply isn’t up to standard to keep him in that role.
The Phillies could explore a positional change, which would also open the door to a potential trade deadline move for a legitimate shortstop. Turner led the league in errors in 2023 and has accumulated 60 errors at shortstop in his Phillies tenure. He already has 12 errors this year, and his defense is actively harming the team’s performance.
Ultimately, Turner’s hitting has shown improvement after a slow start, but he is not a winning player at this moment. He still carries a negative bWAR, and shifting him to the outfield could potentially push him into positive value by removing the burden of his poor defense. Moving him could also help the Phillies address multiple needs as they approach the trade deadline.
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