Dodgers Offseason: Trea Turner Sounds as Good as Gone in LA

MLB insider Mark Feinsand says the Phillies are the frontrunners to sign shortstop Trea Turner, one of the top players on this offseason's free-agent market.

Trea Turner spent a season and a half with the Dodgers, but now he's one of the "big four" free agent shortstops on the market with quite a few suitors. Los Angeles has said they're interested in bringing Turner back, but there hasn't been any word of negotiations or offers since free agency began.

MLB insider Mark Feinsand was on MLB Network on Wednesday and gave an update on the Turner situation, and it doesn't sound promising for L.A.

“Trea Turner is arguably the top shortstop on the market in another very deep shortstop class,” Feinsand said. “The Phillies are a team that I’ve heard him connected to several times. Obviously he played with Bryce Harper in Washington and they’re buddies. And I think the Phillies, even after getting to the World Series, are in the market for one of these shortstops, Turner being likely their top target.”

Discussing possible destinations for Kodai Senga, Trea Turner and Nathan Eovaldi 🧐@Feinsand | #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/qX3mUNOz3u

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 22, 2022

So many of these reports focus on which friends play for which teams, even thought we have 50 years of free agency data that tells us it's pretty much always about the money. It doesn't matter how much Turner and Harper like each other; what matters is whether the Phillies offer Trea more money than any other team does.

That, of course, is entirely possible. The Phillies need a shortstop, and Turner would be a good fit. Phillies ownership has a history of being willing to spend big money to get the player they want, so they make sense as a front-runner for Trea's services. But if he does end up in Philadelphia, it will be because of the money, not because of his buddy Bryce.