"Trea Turner not somebody you can depend like Francisco Lindor" - Ex-Phillies GM hopes 'below average shortstop' follows Bryce Harper example
On Friday, Philadelphia Phillies insiders Todd Zolekci and Jim Salisbury, along with ex-general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. talked about Trea Turner's performance in the 2024 season. Amaro served as the Phillies' GM for seven years (2008-2015).
According to him, Turner would be best utilized at a different position in the outfield. The former executive used New York Mets' Francisco Lindor as the benchmark for the shortstop position, with how he has performed in defensive situations, as well as his offensive contributions.
During Friday's episode of "The Phillies Show," Amaro discussed how Turner should take a page out of Bryce Harper's book and eventually accept a change in position.
"There's no question, that he (Trea Turner) probably believes, and he's maybe right, that if he continues to do the things offensively that he's done as a shortstop, he's got a chance to be a Hall of Famer, and maybe not the same impact if he's playing in the outfield or another position that's not a "glamour position," Amaro said (timestamp 3:33).
"I believe, that the best team they can field probably doesn't have him at short. I think he's sort of a below average shortstop, he's not somebody you can depend on, like Francisco Lindor. At some point, just like Harper moved to first base, you would think that his buddies would follow suit."
Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski assesses possible areas of improvement before 2025 season
After Philadelphia's season came to an end following its defeat to the New York Mets in the NLDS, Phillies skipper Rob Thomson and GM Dave Dombrowski took questions from the press during the end of season conference.
Dombrowski was asked several questions regarding the moves his side may make to strengthen the roster in the offseason. One of the key takeaways was his plans to potentially upgrade the outfield.
"Our outfield is more uncertain than our infield, because our infield's basically set at every single position," Dombrowski said (timestamp 15:09). "Our outfield turned out to be very average at the big-league level when you look at it. We have one guy that plays every day, Castellanos. We like Marsh still, we think he's a good player, when you look at his numbers overall."
"We like Rojas, but we need offensive improvement from him. We have a plan this winter time, he's going to live in Clearwater. We have a plan for him from an offensive perspective. He's reduced his chase rate, he's still an outstandind defensive center fielder, he can run. But I can't say he's going to be for sure our center fielder."
With the Phillies' last World Series appearance already 16 years ago, the 2024 season looked to be the year when they'll finally win it again, especially with how successful the team was in the regular season. However, it was yet another postseason heartbreak for them.
It will be interesting to see if the organization can make the necessary additions, and if the team comes back well-rested and motivated to give it their all next season.