CLEARWATER, Fla. — Trea Turner’s spring training began Wednesday at 8:34 a.m. when he walked onto the half-field adjacent to BayCare Ballpark and hugged two coaches. Bobby Dickerson and Larry Bowa spend the camp mornings putting Phillies infielders through various drills. Turner, who arrived here a few days late so he could spend time with his newborn baby girl, chose to dive into the deep end with some unscheduled early work. For 39 minutes, Turner reunited with Bryson Stott in the middle of the diamond.
They wore paddle gloves and swatted tennis balls. They practiced double-play exchanges. They focused on footwork and glovework. They were active, but there were longer conversations than normal between each drill.
“Good to see you!” Dave Dombrowski shouted from a nearby road as he finished his morning walk.
For months, the Phillies have stressed internal improvements that a familiar cast of characters must make. Dombrowski, the president of baseball operations, has said he wants his hitters to use the whole field better. Manager Rob Thomson has said he doesn’t want his players pressing too much. They could be talking about anybody.
Most of the time, it’s fair to wonder if Turner is the target.
He hit .295/.338/.469 last season. It was an improvement from 2023, the first season of a $300 million deal. But Turner had prolonged slumps and again disappeared during the postseason.
His 3.9 fWAR ranked sixth among 17 National League shortstops with 300 plate appearances. How did Thomson assess Turner’s numbers?
“They’re good,” Thomson said. “But I think there’s more in there. I do. Just some consistency. There were some ups and downs that he hasn’t had in the past. We’ll try and iron those out.”
Turner agreed.
“It’s not the good, consistent baseball that I want to play, personally,” Turner said. “I’ve obviously had really good stretches, but it’s those down trends that have been really bad. I feel like in the past, that’s not the case. Put the ball in play more, take your walks, all those things. Obviously, I know those things, but you’re in the box and you’ve got to do it.”
Maybe moving to the top of the batting order could facilitate a better version of Turner. The Phillies are considering it. Turner is receptive to the idea.
“It would be fun,” Turner said. “It would be a little different. I haven’t done it for a few years now. Kinda get back to a little bit more speed.”
Turner lost six weeks last season due to a high-grade hamstring injury. He looked tentative at times when he returned. Turner pushed back against that idea Wednesday, although he admitted: “It took me a while to get the confidence back in my hamstring. When you go through an injury, I don’t think there’s ever a good time to come back. You’ve got to rip the Band-Aid off at some point.”
There is work to do — on the bases, in the field, and at the plate. Typically, when Turner is hitting, the rest of his game soars. So, those larger valleys in his performance are the chief concern. They are correlated with a higher rate of swings at pitches out of the strike zone.
It’s a fix that is easy to identify and harder to implement.
“Sometimes you’re not in the right spot and you’ve got to be able to compete even when you’re not feeling really well,” Turner said. “It’s when I’m going bad: Can I put the ball in play? Can I be a team player and move runners and do all the sort of things and just raise that floor? I guess.”
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Debating Marsh — again
Brandon Marsh works out in the outfield on Wednesday. (Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images)
The Phillies had 10 pitchers throw live batting practice sessions Wednesday, but only one of them (Tanner Banks) was left-handed. The schedule had Brandon Marsh in the group that faced Banks — and that was by design.
It’s spring training, so it must be time for another debate about whether Marsh can produce enough against lefties to merit everyday playing time. Thomson said Marsh will have as many at-bats as possible this spring against lefties. Would he like to see this conversation end?
“Absolutely,” Thomson said. “I’m tired of talking about it.”
There is one way to reach a conclusion: Play Marsh for a few months against righties and lefties. See what happens. Go from there.
“You could,” Thomson said. “But we’ll see. I mean, I’m not going to commit to anything right now.”
For now, the Phillies are optimistic about Marsh’s work. (This is not the first time they’ve said this.) Marsh, after Aug. 1, hit .269/.367/.500 in 31 plate appearances against lefties. He hit .154/.220/.173 in 59 plate appearances during the first four months of 2024. There were real adjustments, Thomson said, which included Marsh adopting an all-fields approach versus lefties a la Kyle Schwarber.
The Phillies could begin the season with Marsh and Max Kepler, another lefty, as everyday players, and pivot if needed. Johan Rojas should make the club as the fourth outfielder; he could gain time if one of the others struggles.
Maybe Marsh has solved something. Maybe not.
“Using the other field,” Thomson said. “Staying on the ball. Thinking low to left field. It helps him with all off-speed pitches, really, whether it’s right-handed or left-handed. But especially with left-handed pitching. So if he stays with that, he’s got a chance to have some success.”
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This and that
• Edmundo Sosa’s outfield adventure this spring will include center field, Thomson said. Sosa is working with the infielders most days but is dedicating some practice time to the outfield group. If Sosa can prove he’s capable in the outfield this spring, that could prompt the Phillies to carry a different bench bat over Rojas. Something to monitor.
• The Phillies will cycle in most of their regulars next week as the Grapefruit League schedule gets underway. This weekend, they’ll play it safe, likely churning through some of the minor-league pitchers. Nabil Crismatt and Alan Rangel will pitch the first few innings Saturday at Tiger Town.
• Top prospects Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford will see time in the lineup.
“I’m not going to be afraid to play those guys, I’ll tell you that,” Thomson said. “They’re going to get some looks.”
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Phillies prospects Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford soak up spring training, side by side
(Photo of Trea Turner: Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images)
