The Philadelphia Phillies are having a bad stretch of baseball lately, losing eight of their last 10 games.
While virtually the entire roster has underperformed during this stretch, one player especially has done terribly on both sides of the ball this year.
Shortstop Trea Turner has the most errors in baseball this year while sporting a .684 OPS. The Phillies are starting to acknowledge how much this is affecting the outcome of their season.
Infield coach Bobby Dickerson told Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Turner is “putting them in a bad place”.
What Did the Philadelphia Phillies Say About Trea Turner?
Dickerson didn’t mince words when speaking about Turner.
“Right now he’s in a bad place,” Dickerson said. “And it puts us all in a bad place, really. He’s just in a place where he’s searching, and he’s too internal with his thought process. The ball’s put in play, and he’s thinking more about what to do with his body than engaging with the ball. … You can see he’s a step late, not as aggressive, not as decisive.”
It’s possible Turner could be moved to a different position after the Trade Deadline, but this isn’t a vote of confidence for him.
The three-time All-Star signed an 11-year, $300 million contract with Philadelphia after the 2022 season. It hasn’t gone quite as planned for any party.
While with the Phillies, Turner has slashed .278/.328/.447 with 77 home runs and 102 stolen bases. Last year, his glove was one of the best in MLB with +17 Outs Above Average, per Baseball Savant.
This year, it’s been one of the worst in baseball with a -8 OAA. While it can’t be explained how he declined so quickly from a defensive standpoint, it’s hard to imagine it getting worse. However, his bat hasn’t been much better, leading to increased scrutiny from fans and the Phillies.
What Should They Do at the Trade Deadline?
While pitching is obviously a huge need for Philadelphia, the Phillies need a right-handed outfielder. After Adolis Garcia suffered a season-ending injury, the Phillies have been picking up the pieces.
While trying to find a solution for this, Brandon Marsh has struggled mightily in the last few weeks. Marsh went from a possible batting champion back to a platoon outfielder.
The Phillies need another bat or two to take some of the pressure off of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and others. Could they involve Turner in this?
While the Phillies certainly won’t trade Turner with his gargantuan long-term deal, it’s possible he could be moving positions.
With a league-leading 19 errors at shortstop, Turner could very well move to the outfield, making the Phillies only need an infielder.
San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez, among others, could be available for the Phillies.
By moving Turner to the outfield, they could acquire someone like Arraez to put at second base and move current second baseman Bryson Stott to shortstop.
While the Phillies have had a good overall season so far, they need to get out of their slump. Turner could be the key to that.
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