Phillies Eye Future Star Shortstop Free Agent After Trea Turner Update
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 31: Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies stands in the dugout before the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 31, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesThe Philadelphia Phillies have several important decisions to make this offseason after another postseason disappointment, and few will draw more attention than the uncertainty at shortstop.
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Franchise shortstop Trea Turner remains a necessary part of the club’s plans going into the fifth season of his 11-year, $300 million contract, but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has made clear that he must improve defensively to keep the position in 2027.
Turner endured a brutal season at the plate and on defense and shortly afterward, Dombrowski announced that a position change could be considered if Turner cannot return to a reliable level of defense.
“Turner, 33, had perhaps the worst season of his career — hitting .242 with a .675 OPS with a league-worst 21 errors at shortstop — and Dombrowski warned (last week) that a position change could be on deck if Turner fails to regain his form as even an average fielding shortstop,” the Associated Press reported.
That uncertainty could open the door for Philadelphia to explore alternatives for the roster, including a highly regarded international shortstop drawing attention from several major league organizations.
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As the team considers its possible alternatives at shortstop, a South Korean report has surfaced indicating that the team has its eyes on a pending international free agent star.
“Kim Joo-won’s performance has been steadily improving every year, and Major League Baseball is consistently keeping an eye on him,” according to a translated report from Korean outlet OSEN. “At least four to five teams, including the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Pittsburgh Pirates, visit Changwon NC Park to continuously observe Kim Joo-won.”
Kim has built a reputation as a key shortstop for South Korea’s national team and in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) league.
“The day is not far off when ‘national team shortstop’ Kim Joo-won will be called a big league shortstop,” OSEN added. “Players can explore overseas opportunities via the posting system after their seventh season; based on the (free agent) registration requirement of 145 days per season, Kim Joo-won has completed a total of five seasons up to this year…”
As a result, Kim wouldn’t be an option to replace Turner next season, but he could factor into the Phillies’ future plans depending on how the infield mix develops.
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Turner’s status makes the position worth watching as the Phillies reshape their coaching staff and roster. Dombrowski has emphasized that Turner can remain the starting shortstop if he recovers the defensive form he showed previously, but it seems like just a matter of time before the Phillies will need an alternative on the roster.
Kim’s reported presence on Philadelphia’s scouting radar adds another name to the broader conversation. It also marks an intriguing foray into international scouting for a Phillies franchise that has not traditionally targeted major overseas talent from Asia.
For now, Turner remains the incumbent, and Kim is only a reported scouting target. But as Kim continues to develop his star talent in KBO with an MLB transition on the horizon.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com