Report: Talent Evaluators say the Phillies are frontrunners to land a star shortstop in the upcoming offseason
Multiple talent evaluators believe the Phillies are lined up to land star SS Trea Turner in the upcoming offseason, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The 2022-23 offseason is set to have one of the best free-agent shortstop classes in recent memory, headlined by Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa, and Xander Bogaerts.
“Several talent evaluators predict that (Trea) Turner, who’s from Florida, will return East and wind up signing with the Phillies, leaving Correa with the Dodgers or Cubs.” – Bob Nightengale
The Phillies will have some room to work with this offseason, as Didi Gregorius and Jean Segura will both hit free agency, freeing up around $28M in cap space. The infield won’t be the only holes to fill, with Kyle Gibson and a few bullpen pieces set hitting the open market as well.
It will all come down to Dave Dombrowski, and if he’s committed to taking on another huge contract. You have about $130M tied into your six big names on the team (Harper, Wheeler, Nola, Realmuto, Castellanos, Schwarber). Many insiders around the league have predicted Turner to get upwards of an AAV of 30M+, which would make him the highest-paid player on the Phillies roster.
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If the chance is there, the Phillies need to jump all over it. Turner is an absolute monster all around the diamond. He’s slashing .317/.365/.496 on the year, with 10 HRs and 53 RBIs in 71 games. He’s tallied 90 hits in 313 at-bats, has scored 40 runs, stolen 15 bases, and has posted an oWAR of 2.7. His defense hasn’t been great at shortstop this year, committing 6 errors with a .976 fielding percentage. Historically, Turner has had better defensive performances at 2nd, which could be a possibility if the Phils wanted to commit to Bryson Stott at shortstop for the long term.
Bryce Harper was asked about Trea Turner a few weeks back and gave nothing but high praise for his former teammate in Washington.
“I think Trea Turner is one of the most underrated players in the game…he’s one of the best shortstops in the game. I’m excited to see where Turner goes.“
Up Next for the Phillies
The Phillies kick off their first full series since Bryce’s injury on Tuesday. Zack Wheeler gets the ball for the Phils, along with the potential debut of Oscar Mercado, the Phillies’ most recent signing.
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