Bryce Harper said his favorite player in the MLB is Trae Turner, both players wives chime in on Instagram
The Phillies continued their push for a NL Wild Card spot last night, hitting five home runs to take down the Washington Nationals. While the playoffs are still very much on the table this season, Bryce Harper seems to have his eyes set on SS Trea Turner to come to Philadelphia next year.
During Thursday night’s 5-inning win vs. the Nationals, Bryce Harper was up in the booth with Tom McCarthy and John Kruk for just about the whole game (which was absolutely fantastic). At one point in the night, Harper was asked about Trea Turner, and he said that Trea is “his favorite player in all of baseball.”
Harper has spoken highly of Trea many times before, but to say that live on the Phillies broadcast really shows how much respect Harper has for the shortstop.
Well, things just got a little more interesting.
Trea is an upcoming free agent at the end of this season, and the Phillies are going to be in the market for a shortstop. It’s very unlikely that the team re-signs Jean Segura, leaving a hole in one of the middle-infield positions. Sorry, Nick Maton. Bryson Stott would likely move to his natural position at second, and Trea Turner could fill that empty gap at shortstop.
Kristen Turner, Trea’s wife, put @MLB’s video on her Instagram story, tagging Kayla Harper and saying she missed her. Kayla responded with all love, showing the relationship that the two families have.
Is this a stretch? Of course it is. However, we all know Harper’s influence on the Phillies’ roster. He was vocal about JT Realmuto and the leader of the #SignJT movement, and last offseason, was crystal clear that he wanted to bring in both Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos.
Turner has been brought up on multiple occasions this season and it’s definitely something to keep an eye on as we roll through the final months of the 2022 season and into the offseason.
The Phillies will need a shortstop and Trea Turner will need a new home.
Turner is hitting .305/.346/.505 out in Los Angeles this season with 18 HRs and 77 RBIs. He’s tallied 130 hits, 27 doubles, and 18 stolen bases in 105 games. Turner has played every single game for the Dodgers this season.
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Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports
Trea Turner’s hitting stats in the playoffs are not what you want to win a World Series trophy.