The Phillies are without Bryce Harper for the foreseeable future and will need their high-paid hitters to step up or make a trade for more power.
The Major League Baseball stove has been cold for weeks, but with the Winter Meetings quickly approaching it's time for a little Hot Stove action.
The Phillies want a top-end shortstop to fuel a run back to the World Series. There are numerous elite shortstops available this winter. What's going to happen?
According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Trea Turner rumor mill is starting to churn.
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Morosi reported Wednesday morning that the Phillies are considering Turner their "top priority" and that the Phillies are viewed as the "favorites" to land the former Dodgers and Nationals shortstop.
Here are a few of the key excerpts from Morosi's appearance on MLB Network:
"MATT VASGERSIAN: Could [the Phillies] be considered, I guess, the leaders to sign Trea Turner?
MLB
"MOROSI: Yes, Matt: I think right now the Phillies are viewed as the favorites. There are other teams involved, certainly, but the fit for Philadelphia is there.
"[...]
"MOROSI: Trea Turner, said by many to have a preference to play for a team that trains in Florida - of course he's a native Floridian - a very close friend of Bryce Harper's, began his career in the National League East with the Nationals.
"[...]
"MOROSI: He is probably headed for an average annual value in excess of $30 million dollars a year.
"[...]
"MOROSI: For the Phillies, Trea Turner according to sources is their top priority."
You can watch the entire segment below:
Morosi also said the San Francisco Giants are involved in the Turner market, but their decision to add a pricey piece like Turner likely hinges on their ability to land Aaron Judge.
Turner, who turns 30 in June, has been repeatedly linked to the Phillies for a million reasons. Earlier this month, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Phillies insider Jim Salisbury said on the Phillies Talk podcast that he believes Turner-to-Philly is a legit possibility. Morosi has reported multiple times now that he sees the Phillies as a primary suitor for Turner. And there's no shortage of obvious connections to be made.
Bryson Stott was a solid shortstop during the World Series run last year, but he can easily be moved to second base to take Jean Segura's old spot as the Phillies add one of the best-producing shortstops in recent years.
Turner is a career .302 hitter. He was an All-Star last year despite posting his weakest slashes - .298/.343/.466 - since 2019. He hit 21 homers, drove in 100 runs, stole 27 bases, and finished 13th in MLB in defensive runs saved among all shortstops, one spot behind fellow free agent shortstop Carlos Correa and two spots behind fellow free agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
As NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman noted last week, the Phillies will be playing without Bryce Harper for a little while to start the 2023 season and they'll need to make up that production somewhere:
"The Phillies have been heavily connected to the top of the shortstop market, which is led by Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson. The middle infield is the clearest and potentially only everyday position the Phillies can upgrade this winter since they're locked into their starters everywhere else in the field. First base will continue to be a topic of discussion in that regard as Rhys Hoskins enters his final year under team control.
"The addition of any of those four top shortstops -- particularly Turner -- would make an enormous difference in the Phillies' lineup, bringing another table-setting and run-producing bat that could help offset the early-season loss of Bryce Harper and add a layer of protection if 2022 was a sign of what's to come with Nick Castellanos."
Turner would be the perfect addition for a Phillies team ready to make another run.