The Philadelphia Phillies are moving very quickly after signing Don Mattingly as their manager for the next 2 seasons. Their latest move brings in former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza as infield coach. The main reason Dave Dombrowski did that is to solve the Trea Turner problem.
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“He knows he has to be better at shortstop. I told him that is mandatory,” warned Dave Dombrowski after Trea Turner’s horrible defensive year.
After managing the Mets, Mendoza will now join their division rivals as an infield and third-base coach. The Phillies need that experience after their infield struggled through a disappointing 2026 season, with Trea Turner facing particular scrutiny.
Turner committed 21 errors in 2026, while his Defensive Runs Saved dropped to -17 after recording +2 in 2025. His Outs Above Average also fell from +16 to -10, showing how sharply his defense declined.
Mendoza managed the Mets until June 2026 (34-47 record) and previously coached infielders for the Yankees. He later became Aaron Boone’s bench coach from 2020 through 2023, gaining experience that could now help the Phillies.
Mendoza is not the first former Mets manager to take a coaching job with another team, though.
Luis Rojas managed the Mets in 2020 and 2021 before the Yankees hired him as their third-base coach. Rojas finished with a 103-119 record, then moved across the city without receiving another managerial position.
Mendoza’s move is different because Philadelphia and New York compete directly in the National League East. Still, Rojas’ experience shows how a former manager can return to coaching and contribute in another organization.
Now, in Philadelphia, Dave Dombrowski has already warned Turner that his place at shortstop depends on his performance.
“From a defensive perspective, we are very clear. He knows he has to be better at shortstop. And I told him that it’s really mandatory that he’s like that,” Dombrowski explained.
He also noted the difference between Turner’s last 2 seasons:
“He feels he can play and if he plays shortstop as he did in ’25, he can play shortstop. But if he plays it as he did in ’26, he can’t. He totally understands that.”
Turner is expected to start 2027 at shortstop, but Dombrowski has made it clear that the position is not guaranteed beyond that.
Mendoza could become an important figure in helping Turner recover from a season that fell short on both sides.
His years coaching Yankees infielders gave him experience teaching positioning, footwork, and throwing fundamentals to major-league players. He also worked with young infielders such as Gleyber Torres after Torres reached the majors in 2018. Mendoza’s daily routines allowed Torres to seamlessly split time between second base and shortstop while maintaining a highly reliable glove.
That background does not guarantee Turner will improve, but it gives the Phillies an experienced coach who understands the demands of the position.
With Turner already working on his swing, Mendoza’s guidance could help him rebuild confidence and become more reliable defensively.
Dombrowski shared that Turner accepts responsibility for his season, explaining, “Trea does not think he had a good season offensively or defensively. He takes accountability… I’ve told him to kind of slow down.”
But Dombrowski also believes Turner can recover.
“I think Trea still has his fast-twitch muscles. He did not have a good year, but I think he can bounce back.”
Mendoza now has a chance to help Turner and the Phillies’ infield find greater consistency, but their progress will depend on what happens on the field in 2027.