The Philadelphia Phillies face a major decision involving veteran shortstop Trea Turner heading into the 2027 season, with the 33-year-old coming off the least productive campaign of his career.

Turner appeared in 157 games in 2026 and led the majors with 645 at-bats, but his offensive output declined considerably. He finished with a .242/.297/.378 slash line, 19 home runs, 29 doubles and 156 hits. His .675 OPS and 81 OPS+ were both career lows since becoming a regular. His batting average also fell 62 points from the National League-leading .304 he recorded in 2025.

Turner's woes followed him around the diamond. He committed 21 errors at shortstop, the most in MLB, and it was the second time in four years that he exceeded 20 errors. His struggles continued in Philadelphia's National League Wild Card loss to the Atlanta Braves, when he collected just one hit in 13 plate appearances.

The Phillies could respond by moving Turner away from shortstop. Shifting him to center field feels like an “automatic” decision if he remains with Philadelphia, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Friday. That possibility is tied closely to Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller, who missed most of the 2026 season with back trouble and remains a potential replacement at shortstop if he is healthy and ready for a major-league opportunity.

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A position change would not eliminate the challenges surrounding Turner. He has not played in the outfield since 2016, while his only recent experience at another position came at second base with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021. A move to designated hitter also is not an option while Kyle Schwarber occupies that role.

Philadelphia also faces contractual complications. Turner signed a $300 million deal after the 2022 season and still has seven years and $190 million remaining. He also has a full no-trade clause, making an offseason trade more complicated.

The Phillies must determine Turner's position before finalizing their infield and outfield plans. The club is expected to address the situation before a potential owner-imposed lockout on Dec. 1, when team officials would be barred from communicating with players.