Phillies 2026 News and Discussion

[zambonir]

Yeah but Robin Yount made the move at 29 and his career ended at 35. We're talking about a guy the Phillies' need to find a spot for at 35 (if not 34). Yeah, he can run, but we don't know how good his instincts and ball-off-the-bat judgment will be, nor his arm.

Obviously he can play LF just as well as Edmundo Sosa (or RF just as well as Bryce Harper). I just think it's odd that the people who think he shouldn't be a SS (not you) and are down on his poor offensive season think putting him LF is an answer. Some of those same people have never even been happy with Marsh there, and he was playing great defense (and is still just 28 himself). No one wants to see a 110 OPS Trea Turner at a corner OF spot. Whereas we've had worse than that at 2B (with good defense) from Stott his whole career and been fine.

[Philsmania]

The Phillies claimed right-handed pitcher Andrew Hoffmann off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and optioned him to triple-A Lehigh Valley. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, Felix Reyes was recalled and placed on the 60-day injured list with a right wrist fracture. In eight major league games this season as a reliever, Hoffmann, 26, had a 7.71 ERA.

The Phillies’ defense has improved with their shuffled infield. And it starts...

Back in the day, Bowa was very surehanded but one knock on his defense--per early sabermetrics--was that he didn't have a lot of range. If that was the case, it may well have been that Schmidt--who had a world of range--was the perfect complement to him at 3B and really covered up Bowa's lack of range. Could there be a similar dynamic with Turner and Stott?

[Carver]

Every Phillies fan has made the leap that Trea should head to the outfield; usually without any type of clear understanding of how vastly different that it is out there.

Trea actually would have an appropriate shot at being a solid CF with the requisite work (although you are correct in that he is of an age that elite CF are moved to a corner anyway). But I think that most ignore the fact that with Trea the whole issue on defense revolves around fundamentals and focus and confidence and not on athleticism and tools. Last season he was a terrific defender; this year was the opposite.It wasn't as if he lost everything - he is frankly a bit of a head case.

I can see him at 2nd before anywhere else; can also see him at third as it is more of a reactive position and would give him less time to overthink. But all of it requires confidence, and he seems to have more ups and downs than most when it comes to that.

[andyb]

I think complementary range is a bit less important these days with analytics and shifts. The goal is to maximize the effectiveness of each position and having their range overlap is just not efficient. We are actually seeing that Stott just has much better range and mechanics than Bohm at 3B but he is not really helping Turner too much.

[zambonir]

He's referring to what's in the article, not that the players' take on it is anything more than perception and SSS too.

underpinning it all is Stott himself. His range at the position helps cover some balls in the six-hole that Bohm might have ceded to Turner.

“Stott plays a little bit different third base than Bohmer,” Turner said. “And I feel like in the last like week, Stott’s gotten a couple balls where I thought I was getting them, and you know maybe Bohmer would have let me get them, and then Stott’s made the play.”

[flyers19rw]

Too many people are making the assumption that if a player can’t handle SS, an easy move is to put them at 2B. It’s wrong. Second is just as demanding as SS. The big difference is the shorter throw to 1B. There’s as much ground to cover at 2B as there is at SS. They still need to handle the turn on a DP.
The problems with Turner anywhere in the middle infield are his hands; accuracy in throwing; and range. He does not square up his body on balls hit at him like Bowa and JRoll did. Instead he plays too many balls on the side, à la el matador, which lets balls pass him by. The OF is where he belongs. With Crawford showing that he can handle CF and Turner not having the arm for RF, that places him in LF.

[zambonir]

Turner played 2B on a World Series team and he's not a terrible SS. Stott was not-great SS and was a great 2B. Cesar Hernandez was a former SS who was best at 2B. Ditto Sosa (more than 3B). Even Galvis, if memory serves, made his biggest impression subbing for Chase rather than as our starting SS. There are tons more examples, and tons who moved to 3B too.

It's more about the bat, and the Phillies line-up overall. They are still missing a big bat and LF is the most likely place to get one (with Marsh going to RF next year). Turner's bat, be it at its floor or ceiling, plays best as a middle IF. As does Stott. As does Arraez. Which is why I don't think they'll all be here next year (and certainly not in 2028). But Turner's the one that they can't easily move on from. Probably he will remain at SS next year. But if he isn't able to sustain a better and more consistent level of play both with the bat and glove, making him our LF doesn't fix hm or improve the team.

[andyb]

It is not whether his bat "plays" better as a middle infielder. It is about whether we have an alternative that is better. And the contract is ours. Lots of these choices are just rearranging the deck chairs. Find a better SS for a reasonable cost and we will play him there. Finding another SS at an unreasonable cost ($25+ million or trading prospects) is probably not in the cards.

[zambonir]

But that's basically the same thing. It's best to "play" Turner at SS or 2B so you can find a better bat in the OF (or even at 3B).

If it's truly rearranging deck chairs, they probably need to just throw a few guys overboard.

The Miller thing really changes the whole conversation. He should obviously have been the SS or 3B next year.

[allentown]

The Miller thing really changes the whole conversation. He should obviously have been the SS or 3B next year.

And he still may be, although it will be a question whether he can last a whole season. I doubt they put him at SS.

[zambonir]

Well, he won't have to last a whole season in 2027, at least not in the majors. And I guess that is a plus. By the time the Phillies actually have to sign free agents he will have either played quite a bit in AAA, or not.

And last I checked he's played 100% of his professional games at SS. Not sure the back changes anything, so they will have to make that call based on how they see the rest of the MLB roster shaking out after the lockout. If he's truly in the mix.

[Carver]

@flyers - Playing at an average to plus level at any position in MLB is never easy. But the reality is that if one has the general tools to play an effective SS (and Trea has done that...at times in his career), then he has plenty of tools to play 2B. The reverse is not true.

2B is not just as demanding as SS, and generations of play have shown that. Which of course, does not mean that it is easy. It is another up the middle position of real importance. But you almost never see a true 2B (that is not a converted SS already) make the switch to SS and play it effectively. Both cover a lot of ground, but the SS covers more...both get a lot of action, but the SS gets a significant amount more...both are integral to the team defense, but the SS is the QB...and the arm requirements are very different.

Like anything, there is a learning curve. But if a guy can play a solid SS, then as long as he learns the new position he will almost certainly make the transition to 2B well over time. Trea does not have a tools or athleticism issue - he has a focus and fundamentals issue. As of now the betting action should be on him being at SS next season as well.

[BostonRoss]

Are we getting a younger Jeff Hoffman or a younger Nolan Hoffman. How many AAA Hoffmans are there?

I'm hoping for Trevor

[Austinfan]

Actually, a 110 OPS would not be a bad LF these days, if Turner was a plus LF.
Injuries have hurt, Miller lost a season and Nori half a season, while Escobar disappointed.
Best we can hope for next season is a lot of kids finish with strong second halves in AAA ball.

[zambonir]

Actually, a 110 OPS would not be a bad LF these days, if Turner was a plus LF.

Sure, given that our current LF is only at 101 OPS+ and -0.5 dWAR. But we don't even know if Turner would be a plus LF (let alone a 110 OPS+ player again). He's gotta play somewhere, and it probablly doesn't really even matter much where. It matters who else they might have to play where. Obviously it's impossible to say right now, but I'd still sooner see Turner at SS next year than a Turner/Crawford/Marsh OF, because it's unlikely a game-changing SS can be added. Gonna be hard enough to find one in the OF! If they keep Arraez at least 2B and 3B are set.

[bkox]

How many AAA Hoffmans are there?

Jeff, Nolan and Andrew are the only 3 Hoffmans currently on MLB or MiLB rosters according to BBREF

[julio]

How many AAA Hoffmans are there?

Jeff, Nolan and Andrew are the only 3 Hoffmans currently on MLB or MiLB rosters according to BBREF

This goes to show you that perceptions can be unreliable. My first reaction was "Huh? Hoffman is a really common surname! There must be more."

It's a really common surname in central Pennsylvania (PA Dutch, you know), where I grew up; apparently not so much everywhere else!

[MichaelJackSchmidt]

Also common in Berks and Montgomery counties. I'm into Genealogy, and have several Hoffmans in my Family History.

[bkox]

Only 19 Hoffmans have ever played in the MLB . Over 100 have played in the minors but it looks like the majority were before 1950

[zambonir]

Not sure there are that many players named "Smith," even.