Nightengale: Talent evaluators predict Trea Turner to sign with Phillies this offseason

The Philadelphia Phillies could be players in the shortstop market this offseason. Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts (opt-out) and Dansby Swanson will likely headline the star-studded class.

Some talent evaluators reportedly believe Turner will sign with the Phillies, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The free-agent shortstop market will be insane once again this winter with an All-star cast of Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson all potentially available.

Several talent evaluators predict that Turner, who’s from Florida, will return East and wind up signing with the Phillies, leaving Correa with the Dodgers or Cubs.

Turner, 28, is having a terrific season at the plate with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s slashing .317/.365/.496 with 10 home runs, 53 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. He has not graded out well as a defender at shortstop this season (-5 outs above average), but the track record indicates he’s reliable at the position. He hits for average, gets on-base and could possibly be a more traditional No. 1 or 2 hitter for the Phillies.

If Turner does sign with the Phillies, he will reunite with former Nationals teammate Bryce Harper. The thought of Turner hitting in front of Harper in the lineup is tantalizing.

Harper told Nightengale a few weeks ago that he’s “… excited to see where [Turner] goes.”

“I think Trea Turner is one of the most underrated players in the game,” Harper said. “He’s one of those guys that just goes under the radar. He’s one of the best shortstops in the game.”

The Phillies will have numerous holes to fill come this offseason. Two-fifths of the starting rotation are set to become free agents, the bullpen will need another makeover and the infield needs to addressed in more ways than one. In other words, the only set positions heading into next season are corner outfield and catcher.

Even with Didi Gregorius and Jean Segura’s contracts coming off the books, it’ll be interesting to see if Dave Dombrowski gets the green light from ownership to add another massive deal to the payroll.

If the Phillies do sign Turner, he’s very likely to be the team’s highest paid player by far in terms of average annual value. Robert Murray of FanSided predicts Turner could land a contract greater than Corey Seager’s $32.5 million AAV, but at a shorter length than 10 years. Going by AAV, Harper is the Phillies’ highest paid player at $25,384,615.

As the Phillies hope for relatively good news surrounding Harper’s fractured thumb and a timetable for return, they’ll look for ways to improve the roster in anticipation of their star player returning to the field at some point this season. They acquired outfield depth in the form of center fielder Óscar Mercado and could look to make bigger moves as the trade deadline inches closer.

Even with plenty of top players already under contract in Philadelphia, the Phillies will continue to be linked to stars at certain positions. Signing Turner would make a ton of sense, but nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how the win-now Phillies approach free agency next season.

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