Dombrowski sets a shortstop bar for Trea Turner as Mattingly stays on
Phillies president Dave Dombrowski wants Trea Turner to improve at shortstop or consider another position, while Don Mattingly stays on as manager on a two-year deal after the club's wild-card exit to the Braves.
Phillies president Dave Dombrowski has told Trea Turner to improve at shortstop or consider another position, per ESPN. Per ESPN, Turner made 21 errors there in 2026, the most in the league, and the team lost its wild-card series to the Braves in three games.
The message to Turner
“From a defensive perspective, we were very clear. He knows he has to be better at shortstop,” Dombrowski said, per ESPN. He added a second line on the same point: “You cannot play shortstop like you did defensively in ’26 going to ’27.”
Dombrowski also pointed to who could fill the gap. “It’s up to him to show us that he can do it,” he said, adding that “we’ll have fallback opportunities, and some of them may come from the young players that we have.”
Turner’s 2026 at a glance
Turner hit .242 with a .675 OPS in 2026, per ESPN. On-base plus slugging (OPS) folds two rates into one figure. The table gathers the season, playoff and contract figures.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Batting average, 2026 | .242 |
| OPS, 2026 | .675 |
| Shortstop errors, 2026 | 21 (most in the league) |
| Playoff line, 2026 postseason | 1-for-11 |
| Years left on contract | Seven |
| Remaining salary | About $190 million of $300 million |
| No-trade clause | Yes |
Figures in the table are per ESPN.
Turner’s reply and his deal
Turner acknowledged the problem. “I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said, adding that “this year is the biggest question mark for me offensively in a long time,” per ESPN.
The rest of the infield
The rest of the infield is also in flux. Per ESPN, Bryce Harper is to return to first base, Luis Arraez is a free agent, Alec Bohm may leave in free agency, and Bryson Stott could move to shortstop.
Outfield production also drew attention. Per ESPN, Brandon Marsh hit .183 in the second half, 155th of 156 qualified hitters, with a .490 OPS.
How the series went
Pacy's data has all three wild-card games in Atlanta: the Braves won the opener 5-3 on 29 September, the Phillies levelled with a 4-3 win on 30 September, and the Braves took the deciding game 6-2. Turner's 1-for-11 in the playoffs, per ESPN, came across those three games.
Mattingly stays on
The Phillies are keeping Don Mattingly as manager on a two-year deal, removing his interim tag, and Dombrowski announced the decision on 14 October, the AP reported via ABC News.
Per ABC News (AP), the Phillies fired Rob Thomson in late April with the team 9-19 and replaced him with Mattingly, who went 79-55. Before keeping Mattingly, Dombrowski was turned down twice by Alex Cora, once when he fired Thomson and again after the season, the AP reported.
What comes next
The Harper, Schwarber, Realmuto, Wheeler and Nola core has made five straight playoff appearances, averaging 91 wins a year, without winning the World Series, per ESPN (AP).
The offseason agenda is now public: a shortstop who has to improve or change position, Harper back at first base, the free-agent status of Arraez and Bohm, and a manager on a two-year deal.