MLB rumors: New favorite emerges in Trea Turner sweepstakes

The Philadelphia Phillies have emerged as a favorite to land star shortstop Trea Turner, previously of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After representing the National League in the World Series and falling just a few games short of their ultimate goal, the Phillies are looking to improve their roster in a big way.

The face of Philadelphia baseball, Bryce Harper, will be out until the middle of next year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. With that in mind, it will be on the collective unit to step up in his absence.

A new face might help matters. Philly definitely has a hole at the shortstop position, with the likes of Didi Gregorius and Bryson Stott splitting time there last season. As FanSided’s Kevin Henry pointed out in a recent piece on Turner and the Phils, “Philadelphia finished 25th in MLB at shortstop with a combined minus-1.2 bWAR. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Turner’s former team, finished seventh in the league at the position with 2.7 bWAR.”

That stat alone should be enough for the Phillies to pull the trigger.

Phillies emerge as the frontrunner to sign Trea Turner

Trea Turner is the top shortstop on the open market, and general manager Dave Dombrowski is not afraid to throw ownership’s money around. It’s a match made in heaven.

Turner, who is under 30 years old, is likely looking for a deal between 5-and-7 years, if not longer. Per Spotrac, his expected market value is just over $33.6 million per season.

The 29-year-old slashed .298/.343/.466 with 21 home runs, 100 RBI, and 27 stolen bases last season.

Turner would be a massive upgrade over the shortstop already on the roster. As for the Dodgers, they’ve already activated a backup plan, looking into other shortstops on the open market and even contemplating a full-time move to former top prospect Gavin Lux.