He owns the Phillies shortstop Tria Turner as a top priority, according to John Morosi of the MLB Network. This is consistent with reports from Buster Olney And the Jesse Rogersboth from ESPN, which each relay word from sources who feel the Phillies will sign one of the “Big Four” shortstops, which include Turner in addition to Carlos CorreaAnd the Xander Bogaerts And the Dansby Swanson.
The Phillies have been looking for a solution at shortstop for a few years now. signed Didi Gregory in 2020, giving him a one-year contract. He did well enough in the short season to commit to a two-year deal, but that went south almost immediately. After hitting just .209/.270/.370 in 2021, there was some speculation that the Phillies would jump into last year’s big lottery, which includes Korea, Corey SeegerAnd the Javier BaezAnd the Trevor’s story And the Marcus Semin.
They ultimately stayed on the sidelines, giving Gregory a chance to redeem himself in the final year of his deal. It didn’t work out, as he hit .210/.263/.304 this year and was released in August. They had to go back to their backup plan, which was bearable Bryson Stott. He struggled the first two months, no surprise given that it was his first major league action, as he was optioned to the minors in April but returned after only two weeks.
At the end of May, Stott was sitting on a miserable .123/.179/.151 hitting streak wRC+ of -8. Something seemed to click in June, as he hit .257/.318/.401 for a wRC+ of 102 from that point on, bringing his last streak to .234/.295/.358 and a wRC+ of 83. Glove Work His shortstop was considered below average with above-average defensive saves and tackles, while his Ultimate Zone rating put him just above that. This isn’t a disastrous season for a rookie, but the Phils clearly haven’t seen enough to consider Stott’s long-term solution at the position and appear to be stuck in the shortstop market for the second year in a row. The club refused Jean Segurawhich is the option to create a slot at second base that Stott could theoretically fill. Both the DRS and the OAA liked his glove works better on this side of the bag, making it a reasonable approach for the club.
While any of the four stops would make sense for this plan, Turner would certainly be an exciting fit. During his time in the major leagues thus far, he has proven himself to be one of the best all-rounders in the game, succeeding in nearly every aspect. In 849 career games, he hit 124 home runs and stole 230 bases. 302/.355/.487, which results in a WRC+ of 124. UZR doesn’t like his work at shortstop, but both his DRS and OAA scores have made him above average for his career. For a Phillies team full of heroines like Kyle SchwarberAnd the Nick Castellanos And the Rhys HoskinsA dynamic player like Turner, who turns 30 in June, would provide an exciting new element.
Of course, given his elite skills, he would have to push at a high level. MLBTR sign Contract worth $268 million over eight years, with an average annual value of $33.5 million. The Phillies currently have about $179 million committed through 2023, per list resource, with a competitive tax credit number of $191 million. Last year’s opening day payroll was $229 million per Cradle baseball contracts, which means they still have plenty of room to work with if they plan to spend at a similar level this year. They’ll likely want to keep some powder dry for other needs, like a promo crew, but it’s easy to see how they could fit in a Turner-sized necklace here. Even adding about $30 million or so to that CBT number doesn’t get them past the bottom line for 2023, which would be $233 million. Plus, given the World Series kicks off in 2022, it’s possible that they’ll pick up some extra revenue which could lead to a bigger budget in 2023.
Turner received and declined a qualifying offer from the Dodgers, which meant that any team that signed him would have to pay a cost that was more than just money. Since the Phillies pay the luxury tax in 2022, they will have to forfeit their second- and fifth-highest picks in the next draft, as well as a $1 million reduction in their international bonus pool. If Turner actually signs with someone other than the Dodgers, they get an extra pick after the fourth round, and a diminishing return because they also paid the luxury tax this year.
Of course, the Phillies wouldn’t be alone in the pursuit of Turner. Morosi mentions that the Giants are involved, but adds that they’ll likely want to know how it works Aaron Judge Playing position before pivoting to the shortstop chase. Turner has also been rumored to be linked to the Cubs and Mariners, while other teams would be speculative. If one of these clubs eventually can beat the Phillies and take Turner, he could turn to the other big names, having already been Connected to boggarts.
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