Trea Turner
Position: Shortstop
Bats/Throws: R/R
Age: 29 (30/06/1993)
2022 Traditional Stats: 160 G, 708 PA, .298/.343/.466/.809, 21 HR, 100 RBI, 194 H
2022 Advanced Stats: 121 OPS+, 6.3 fWAR, 6.4 BB%, 18.5% K%, 41.8% HardH%, .342 BABIP, .169 ISO
Rundown
Trea Turner is arguably the most versatile offensive weapon in baseball, and he will be one of the biggest and most intriguing names available in Free Agency. As reported exclusively by our very own Michael Mayer, the Mets hold a very keen interest in the superstar shortstop and it is not hard to see why given his ability to be an elite difference maker in a plethora of different ways.
It is a lot of fun to watch Turner play baseball and that has been the case since day one. Making his debut in the bigs in 2015 with the Washington Nationals, the righty finished in second place in NL Rookie of the Year voting (Corey Seager won the award) in 2016. During that breakout year, Turner hit .342/.370/.567/.937 with 14 doubles, eight triples, 13 homers, 40 RBI, 33 stolen bases and 14 walks.
Turner’s ability to get on base at an insane rate became his early calling card as he hit over 20 doubles, hit six triples, reached double figures in home runs and stole over 40 stolen bases in both 2017 and 2018. After another productive year in 2019, Turner actually put together an offensive masterclass during the COVID-19 shortened year in 2020. In just 59 games, the shortstop slashed .335/.394/.588/.982 with 78 hits, 15 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs, 41 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 22 walks, earning MVP votes in the National League.
However, 2020 proved to be just the tantalizing appetizer that set up the mouthwatering main course in 2021 and beyond. Spending the first-half of the 2021 season with the Nationals before being acquired by the LA Dodgers in a blockbuster trade alongside ace Max Scherzer, Turner elevated his game to a whole new level and began to really thrive on the biggest stage.
In a grand total of 646 plate appearances for both the Nationals and the Dodgers, Turner had a career-high 195 hits with 32 stolen bases and 77 RBI, underlining his ability to get on base, drive in runs and cause mayhem on the base paths with his electric speed and high-level instincts. His 28 home runs was also a reflection of the newfound power he had really begun to harness and add to his game.
You could make the argument that the only slight against Turner when it came to his offensive game was his lack of pop. That is no longer the case with the 29-year-old hitting 21 homers in 2022, to go along with 39 doubles, 100 RBI, 27 stolen bases and 45 walks. He hit .298/.343/.466 with a .809 OPS and 4.9 WAR in 708 plate appearances, earning a trip to the All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Turner also slashed .333/.333/.778/1.111 in 18 at-bats in the postseason.
Turner has always been an on-base machine who can make things happen by putting the ball in play, driving in runs and his insane speed is a lethal weapon that adds a different dynamic to any lineup he’s in. Despite being 29, he hasn’t slowed down one bit and he ranked in the 99th or 100th percentile for speed for the eighth straight season. Turner stole 27 bases in 2022 – he has 230 in his career – and his steals and overall baserunning have been worth 42 runs above average since 2016, according to FanGraphs, which ranks second most in MLB behind Billy Hamilton.
As much fun as it is to watch Turner tear around the bases and execute a perfect slide, which he’s made into an absolute art form (he leads MLB in steals since 2016), the eight-year veteran boasts skills that will remain dominant long after his speed fades. He leads MLB with 130 infield hits since 2017, underlying his ability to make contact, put the ball into play and make things happen. If you need an infield single to score a run or get things going in the middle of the game, Turner is your guy.
And that is why the fact that the shortstop has been able to add another string to his bow in the form of some power is a real game changer when it comes to free agency. Turner has hit 61 homers in 367 games since the 2020 season, which ranks fourth among shortstops. He has led all shortstops in OPS+ (138) since 2020, and the fact that the righty hitter can now give you 20+ homers a year only adds to his value.
If all that wasn’t enough, Turner is also a plus defender and, while he did give up 16 errors in 2022, his athleticism and speed allows him to make big plays in the field. And, perhaps the most underrated selling point with the 29-year-old is the fact that he can be deployed in a number of different positions and roles. That level of versatility makes Turner a valuable commodity in modern day baseball, and he’s an elite player who can do everything to a very high level.
He has made the All-Star Game in each of the last two years which suggests that he’s playing his very best baseball right now, while he won the National League batting title in 2021. Plus, Turner also knows what it takes to win in the postseason having won the World Series in 2019 with the Washington Nationals.
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Contract
Turner signed a one-year, $21 million contract with the Dodgers for the 2022 season and it is fair to say that he outperformed that deal by quite some distance. Turner now hits the open market as the second best shortstop behind Carlos Correa, and he should receive a monster payday and a long-term deal given the sheer amount of teams needing an accomplished shortstop that can provide value with both his bat and his glove.
According to Spotrac.com, Turner has a calculated market value of $33.6 million and he’s projected to land a six-year, $201,700,074 deal. That certainly seems about right given Turner’s impressive resume and the fact that he continues to rake offensively year after year after year. Plus, teams in need of a shortstop will also be getting a player in Turner who can be used across the infield and outfield. And, who wouldn’t love a player who can hit for average, hit for power, provide solid defense and steal bases at a crazy level? Turner is the complete package and he should get a deal in free agency that reflects that fact.
Recommendation
If 2022 taught us anything it was that the Mets lineup, as it is currently constituted, is flawed. We saw that in critical stretches during the regular season, and it reared its ugly head again in the National League Wild Card series loss to the San Diego Padres. The offense lacked speed, it lacked power and it also lacked a real difference-maker that could complement and support the likes of Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil.
Trea Turner would be the perfect remedy to all of those flaws. Rather, Turner would tick all the boxes for the Mets and he would completely revamp the overall look of this lineup and provide matchup nightmares for opposing managers on a nightly basis. He is an on-base machine, he can put the ball in play via a single, double or even a triple, he can create problems on the base paths with his blistering speed and his recent injection of power makes him a triple threat.
And, for those wondering where he would fit in the lineup given that Lindor is already the team’s star everyday shortstop, Turner could be used in the outfield or even at second base. His versatility would be a powerful weapon in itself and it would allow manager Buck Showalter to be creative with his lineup card on a daily basis. Having the power to be flexible and create different matchups, especially in the playoffs, is a luxury the Mets didn’t have in 2022. Turner could give them that.
With a reported keen interest, it is clear that the Mets are very high on Turner and while he would come with a steep price tag, owner Steve Cohen possesses the financial might to be able to make a deal happen and it would almost be like signing three players in one given Turner’s versatility and the abundance of different skills he has at his disposal. Plus, the hype video that Turner and his agents at CAA recently sent out, narrated by the one and only Jon Hamm, is worth any team shelling out an extra few million dollars.
Overall, Turner should be one of the biggest names available on the open market this winter because of his prowess in a multitude of different areas. He can do it all at an insane level and he would give this lineup a complete makeover on his own. You need difference-makers in order to scale the top of the mountain and win a World Series, and Turner certainly fits into that category. He’s an offensive weapon that can kill opposing teams in a plethora of different ways and he can address a number of key needs all at once. If the New York Mets are serious about taking that extra step needed to really compete for a championship in 2023, then they should go all out and make Turner their biggest splash of the offseason. It would be worth every single cent because the 29-year-old could well be the final piece of the puzzle.
