The Phillies didn’t sign Trea Turner because they thought he was a great defender at shortstop. They mostly wanted his batting-title winning righthanded bat at the top of the lineup. However, they likely expected him to provide at least solid defense at the position.
But over the first two years with the team, his defense deteriorated to the point where he became a liability, and we began to hear more and more suggestions that the team would be better served to move him to the outfield.
Turner took the criticism to heart. He worked over the offseason to shore up his defense, and the results were palpable. According to both statistics and the eye test, Turner was a far better defender than in years prior, and his defense became a strength rather than a weakness.
The question is: Will it remain that way?
Every “I worked hard to improve” story comes with a subtext: I wasn’t working as hard as I needed to before. And that’s understandable. Turner is an elite athlete, and everything – including defense – likely came easy to him. It probably wasn’t easy for him to accept the fact that he was no longer a good defender until it became undeniable. (Or perhaps the team’s coaching staff and front office helped point it out to him.)
Now that he’s age 33, even though he seems to be as fast as ever when running the bases, it’s reasonable to expect further decline in physical skills. Determination and hard work can help overcome that, but even that lasts only so long.
Overall, the Phillies look like they’ll be solid defensively. There are some question marks around the diamond, but no glaring liabilities (even Alec Bohm has improved to the point of adequacy). But much of that hinges on the shortstop being a plus defender. If Turner once again slips into subpar play, then the Phillies’ defense could lapse into the realm of weakness.
