Five Trea Turner Free Agent Destinations

Five Trea Turner Free Agent Destinations

Trea Turner will be one of the most sought after MLB free agents on the market this winter. The Los Angeles Dodgers weren’t able to lock up the shortstop long-term and now he’s set to get big money offers from a number of teams.

Turner has been an All-Star in each of the last two seasons, won the National League batting title in 2021 and helped lead the Washington Nationals to a World Series title in 2019. In 2022, Turner hit .298 with 21 home runs, 100 RBIs, an OPS of .809 and an fWAR of 6.3. He puts up incredible numbers and, at 29, still has years left in his prime. What follows is a look at which teams will likely be in the mix for his services.

Yes, the Phillies already have a massive payroll, but after falling just short in the 2022 World Series, they could be looking to make a bold move to improve the roster this offseaosn. Jean Segura is hitting free agency this winter, which would leave second base open for Bryson Stott. That would give Turner a tidy spot at shortstop to slide into. Turner reportedly prefers a move back to the East Coast, so this fit makes a lot of sense for both parties.

The Cardinals are prepared to increase their payroll in 2023 and need a long-term solution at shortstop. St. Louis could boast one of the best infields in baseball history if it were to add Turner. Nolan Arenado, Tommy Edman an Paul Goldschmidt are already a formidable trio, tacking Turner on to that group would be insane. It would all depend on just how far the Cardinals are willing to go financially.

The Cubs will be in the market for a shortstop this winter and would like to find a leader to build around up the middle. They currently only have $89 million committed to players in 2023 and that number drops to $50 million in 2024. That means they could overpay for someone like Turner or Carlos Correa to help lead the next wave in Chicago. Turner is the obvious preference here and if he doesn’t mind not contending for a few seasons while the Cubs build, this could be where he scores the biggest contract.

Most experts expect the Giants to be active in free agency this offseason after a disappointing 2022 campaign. They are expected to chase Aaron Judge, and Turner is a great fit as well. He could move to second base (he’s played there before) as Brandon Crawford is entrenched at shortstop and under contract through 2023. The Giants have $70 million in salary on the books for 2023 and only $20.5 million in 2024, so they have a ton of flexibility to add big names. Few will be bigger than Turner this winter.

It would really hurt if the Dodgers couldn’t bring Turner back. He was a huge piece of their 111-win season in 2022. There just never seemed to be momentum towards a long-term deal, which is why many don’t expect the shortstop back in LA. That said, the Dodgers have deep pockets and after falling short this season, they’re likely to add this winter. That could mean a huge offer to Aaron Judge and it could mean overpaying to retain Turner.

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