Report: Philadelphia Phillies Favorites to Sign Trea Turner at Winter Meetings

According to a new report, the Philadelphia Phillies are the favorites to land free agent shortstop Trea Turner, potentially as early as the MLB Winter Meetings.

Kade Kistner | Nov 30, 2022

Report: Philadelphia Phillies Favorites to Sign Trea Turner at Winter Meetings /

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies remain in the driver's seat for MLB free agent shortstop Trea Turner according to a new report. For much of the offseason, and even before, the Phillies have been connected to Turner for a plethora of reasons.

However, with the MLB Winter Meetings looming next week, the Hot Stove may finally start to thaw. MLB Netwok's Jon Morosi has reported that Philadelphia is still very much the favorite to land Turner's services, potentially even as early as next week.

Turner is known to want to play spring training in Florida, which is where he is from. He has a strong friendship with Bryce Harper, and he came up playing in the National League East.

On top of that, the Phillies are in the market for a shortstop and have the money needed to land Turner, who is reportedly looking for a $30 million-plus a year contract.

The #Phillies have emerged as favorites to sign Trea Turner. My latest report here. @MLBNetwork pic.twitter.com/PVjw5f6NhP
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 30, 2022

Another factor working in Philadelphia's favor is the battle over slugger Aaron Judge.

While the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees are deciding what to do and how much to offer Judge, that leaves teams like the Phillies, who aren't in on the 2022 AL MVP, with the opportunity to sign the other marquee free agents on the market.

Morosi postulates that this MLB Hot Stove, which is currently ice cold, could start to thaw next week in San Diego when the MLB Winter Meetings begin.

This follows many in the industry's thoughts, as players and teams alike will want to begin securing services ahead of the season and avoid waiting until just prior to spring training.

The last time the Winter Meetings were held in 2019, multiple names were taken off the board, sparking a flurry of moves.

This year has all the makings of very much the same happening, as once one domino falls, the rest could surely follow.

Inside the Phillies will have boots on the ground at the Winter Meetings to bring you all the latest news, signings, and trades that may occur.

One of those moves may very well be the signing of Turner to a massive deal as momentum grows towards that particular outcome.

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Published Nov 30, 2022

KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.