Giglio: Phillies should bench Turner for Sosa late in playoff games for defense
Joe Giglio believes Rob Thomson and the Philadelphia Phillies should consider benching Trea Turner for Edmundo Sosa in playoff scenarios when they are holding a lead in the ninth inning.
"Phillies are winning 4-3, a close margin," Giglio began on Thursday's 94WIP Midday Show. "One run, two run margin, ninth inning...They have the lead, it's the ninth inning. The likelihood of hitting again is almost zero. I'm proposing that during these moments in the postseason they take Trea Turner off of the field for defense and put Edmundo Sosa in for defense late in games.
"I want to put the best defensive team on the field...If [Johan] Rojas is not a starter on a certain day, Rojas should go to center field in the ninth inning. He's their best defensive player. Well, their second best defensive player is Edumundo Sosa. And Trea Turner, for all he's had a pretty good season this year, he's not a good defensive shortstop, we know it."
Larry Bowa, currently serving as a senior advisor to Phillies GM Sam Fuld, vehemently disagreed with Giglio's idea.
"No thought whatsoever," Bowa said when presented with the idea of benching Turner for Sosa late in playoff games. "That wouldn't even be an issue. Trea Turner is our shortstop. Doesn't matter if it's the first inning, the 15th inning. The only way he would be out of that game is if he got hurt."
