Dodgers Poll: Most Fans Want LA to Re-Sign Trea Turner
For a while there, it seemed like public sentiment among Dodgers fans might be turning against Trea Turner. Trea struggled offensively over the last month or so of the regular season, and then a couple key defensive gaffes in the postseason seemed to have people wondering whether L.A. might be better off looking elsewhere for their 2023 shortstop.
But now, nearly two weeks removed from the pain of L.A.'s shocking loss to the Padres in the NLDS, it seems like fans are taking a more practical look at the shortstop market and who's available. According to a Twitter poll over at Dodgers Nation, over three-fourths of voters are in favor of Los Angeles re-signing Trea.
While there are three other key shortstops likely to be available on the market this offseason, each has his own potential drawbacks. Xander Bogaerts (if he opts out of his deal with the Red Sox) has been the best hitter of the bunch over the last five years, but he's also the oldest. Dansby Swanson was outstanding in 2022, but his career OPS+ is just 95, and he's never been as good offensively or defensively as he was this year. Carlos Correa has the edge and postseason experience a lot of L.A. fans are looking for, but he also has a few things those fans might not be looking for, if you know what I mean.
Which leaves us with Turner, who is, if nothing else, the one we're familiar with. Even in a down year, he batted right in the meat of a lineup that won 111 regular-season games. His offensive performance in the NLDS seemingly put to rest the concerns that he can't hit in the postseason, and we can hope his defensive issues were merely a blip.
Realistically, if Trea had played exactly how he did but a few of his teammates had come through with runners in scoring position, the Dodgers would have beat the Padres and everyone would be totally on board the "Re-Sign Trea" train. It seems like that train is starting to get full once again.
