“We were very clear: He knows he has to be better at shortstop. I told him it’s really mandatory that he’s like that,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.
Carlos Mendoza Joins Staff as Infield Coach
One of the first moves made by the Phillies this offseason was bringing in a new voice to lead the infield. The organization moved on from Bobby Dickerson, who had served as infield coach since the 2022 season, and brought in Carlos Mendoza. The former Mets manager will also serve as third-base coach on Don Mattingly’s staff in 2027.
Mendoza takes over a unit that experimented aggressively after the trade deadline. The Phillies brought in Luis Arraez to play second base, shifted Bryce Harper back to right field, moved Alec Bohm to first base, and deployed Bryson Stott at third.
The tactical gamble paid off initially, but Arraez suffered a September ankle sprain that kept him off the postseason wild-card roster. With Arraez, Bohm, and Edmundo Sosa all impending free agents, leadership faces several distinct pathways.
Trea Turner Stays at Shortstop — For Now
The most pressing personnel question centers on Trea Turner and his defensive metrics following a turbulent 2026 campaign. Turner was the only member of the infield who did not change positions after the trade deadline, and the front office never approached him to do so.
Despite extra work with Dickerson and experimenting with different equipment, Turner’s play fluctuated wildly. He committed 21 errors—up sharply from just eight in 2025—and finished last among major league shortstops in several defensive metrics. He posted a minus-17 defensive runs saved and a minus-8 outs above average, representing career-low marks.
Even so, Turner will enter 2026 as the starting shortstop, though Dombrowski made it clear that retention of the position is strictly contingent on defensive improvement. “If he plays shortstop like he did in ’25, he can play shortstop. But if he plays like he did in ’26, he can’t. He totally understands that,” Dombrowski stated.
Should those improvements fail to materialize, Dombrowski noted the club maintains internal pipeline fallback options, which would likely necessitate moving Turner to the outfield.
Offensive struggles compounded the defensive issues. After winning the batting title a year prior, Turner batted .242 with a .675 OPS in 2026. His production against left-handed pitching plummeted to .219 with a .607 OPS.
“Got a lot of work to do,” Turner said following the team’s postseason exit. “Kind of just go over everything and just figure out as much I can, find answers, see what I did bad.”
Harper Returns to First Base Full-Time
Bryce Harper’s willingness to temporarily vacate first base and return to right field allowed the front office to execute its post-deadline infield shuffle. While the experiment ultimately stalled due to injuries, Harper delivered a productive offensive season overall.
He batted .269 with an .865 OPS and 29 home runs while playing in all 162 games for the first time in his career. He also led the National League with 107 walks after setting a spring training goal to exercise more discipline at the plate.
Next season, Harper returns to first base, though he will also see action at designated hitter. Dombrowski indicated that Bryce Harper is expected to be the Phillies’ first baseman. Schwarber and Harper are both entering their age-34 seasons.
Stott Transitions to Third Base While Bohm Approaches Free Agency
Bryson Stott’s mid-season transition to third base proved vital to the team’s alignment. Although he had not played the hot corner since his 2022 rookie season, Stott handled the position capably alongside his work at second base, where he posted plus-8 outs above average and a plus-4 fielding run value.
Meanwhile, Alec Bohm’s tenure in Philadelphia could conclude this winter as he reaches free agency.
“I have no idea what to expect. But I would love to be back if they would have me back,” Bohm said after the postseason exit.
The front office must decide whether to extend a qualifying offer—projected at a steep $23.15 million—by five days following the World Series. A qualifying offer would carry a high price tag for a player with a career .735 OPS, but it could buy development time for top prospect Aidan Miller to assume a major league role.
Arraez and Sosa Face Impending Free-Agent Decisions
Beyond Bohm, Arraez and Edmundo Sosa represent notable impending free-agent decisions. Arraez finished second in the National League with a .310 batting average, despite a late-season slump and a fly-ball rate increase that climbed to 42.1% after August 1.
Sosa provided dependable utility depth, hitting .290 with an .835 OPS against left-handers, though a desire for everyday playing time likely points him elsewhere. Externally, Bo Bichette remains a top free-agent third-baseman option by Wins Above Replacement at 5.7, pending any opt-out decisions from his current contract with the Mets.
