To say that Trea Turner hasn't lived up to his 11-year, $300 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies would be an understatement. He's made just one All-Star team thus far, and in year four of the deal, he slashed .242/.297/.378 with 19 home runs, 58 RBI and 21 stolen bases. He's had a brutal year, but at the very least, he had a chance to re-establish himself as a franchise cornerstone in the playoffs.
Instead, he did the opposite in Tuesday's Wild Card Series opener. Not only was he a non-factor at the plate, but Turner was unable to make a play that would've ended the eighth inning with the Phillies still in front. After Turner's miscue, the Atlanta Braves fittingly found a way to flip the score, as Austin Riley launched what became a game-winning three-run homer. Now, the Phillies face elimination, and Turner is a huge reason why.
An infield-single and a hit-by-pitch kept this inning alive https://t.co/WvoIsSmZd1 pic.twitter.com/F4zqXOhYGj
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 29, 2026
Trea Turner might deserve most of the blame for crushing Phillies Game 1 loss
Don't get me wrong: This was a tough play for Turner to make, but this is also a play that the elite shortstops in the sport make most of the time. Turner, as a $300 million player, is paid like an elite shortstop. His inability to perform like one held the Phillies back in the field, and in other areas in this game as well.
At the plate, Turner went 0-for-3. He did reach base once, but that came via a hit-by-pitch, and he was immediately picked off after that. He led off the game chasing a slider well below the zone. His next at-bat after the hit-by-pitch saw him pop out to lead off the sixth inning. His final at-bat of the day saw him fly out with a runner at third. Turner had chances to both start rallies and bring a runner home, yet failed in all scenarios.
That's just not the kind of game you want to see from a $300 million player, plain and simple.
Trea Turner shows once again that he shouldn't be trusted at shortstop
Again, the play in the eighth was a tough one to make, but a shortstop with more range likely could have made it. The fact that Turner wasn't even close gives us an excuse to point out that Turner is one of the worst defensive players at the position, and he has been consistently for quite some time.
Turner was worth -8 Outs Above Average during the regular season, good for the fifth-worst among the 42 qualified shortstops. Turner was particularly bad on plays that forced him to come in on the ball, much like the one in Tuesday's game, good for a share of the second-worst in the Majors with -8 OAA. This isn't surprising as Turner, outside of a surprisingly great 2025 season defensively, has been subpar in the field for a while.
Year | OAA | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
2026 | -8 | 38/42 |
2025 | 17 | 3/37 |
2024 | -2 | 31/40 |
2023 | -6 | 31/35 |
2022 | -1 | 23/37 |
Turner has been mostly bad defensively for half a decade now, and he's never been worse than he is right now. Odds are, he'll only regress as he continues to age (he's 33 years old right now). At a certain point, the Phillies need to ask themselves if this guy can be relied on at the most important position on the diamond. If they're being objective, the correct answer is no, and whether they want to move him to second base, third base or even center field, they should do so.
Why the Phillies have no choice but to make the most out of Trea Turner experience
If it were up to Phillies fans, Turner's position wouldn't change — his uniform would. Phillies fans want him gone, and that's only amplified after how this game went. Unfortunately for them, there's no real end in sight. Trea Turner isn't going anywhere.
Forget the fact that Turner has a full no-trade clause, giving him the authority to veto any deal to any team, no matter what. But Turner, as mentioned above, is in the fourth year of an 11-year, $300 million contract. He has another seven years at over $27 million annually remaining. This will cover him through his age-40 season and is undeniably one of the worst deals in the sport. With that in mind, why would another team take it on?
The odds of the Phillies finding a suitor to their and Turner's liking are practically zero, especially when looking at his contract and production (or lack thereof). The Phillies signed Turner to this deal expecting him to regress at some point, but to have a ring or two to justify that regression. Unfortunately, their window is closing, and Turner's contract isn't even halfway through. Yikes.
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