Categories: Phillies Nuggets with Tim Kelly

Bryce Harper: ‘I have no doubt that he’s gonna be Trea Turner’

Trea Turner is in his first season with the Phillies. (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire)

While there may be a vocal minority of fans starting to question the 11-year/$300 million deal that the Philadelphia Phillies signed Trea Turner to this past offseason, there’s no buyer’s remorse from some of the most important people in the organization.

And that starts with the face of the franchise, as Bryce Harper flirted with his former teammate for much of the 2022 season, which certainly didn’t hurt the Phillies chances of signing Turner when he became a free agent last offseason.

The two-time NL MVP said Tuesday night that he has no doubt Turner will find his form.

“He’s a great player. I mean, that’s why he’s here,” Harper said. “He’s done it for his whole career. He understands what he needs to do. And you know, he’s gonna get there. I mean, I have no doubt that he’s gonna be Trea Turner and play the game he knows how to play.

“You know, he’s one of the best guys I’ve ever been around in my career. And I’ve been able to see it up close and from afar for a long time, and he’s gonna be a really good player for us.”

Harper and Turner, of course, were previously teammates on the Washington Nationals. So too were Turner and Kyle Schwarber, who spoke last weekend about how he understands what it’s like to press when you’ve joined a new team and don’t immediately have individual success.

“When you feel like you’re not living up to your own expectations, you kind of get in your own way,” Schwarber said. “And I’m not saying that for him, I’m saying I felt that last year at some point early in the year when I was scuffling. For me, it was just going out there and trying to put in the work and be the same guy every day. And I know that’s what Trea is doing.”

Turner — who said point blank that he’s “sucked” so far in 2023 earlier this week — is currently slashing .251/.297/.382. If this were any run-of-the-mill shortstop, his numbers wouldn’t be a cause for concern. But this is one of the better position players in baseball when things are going right, which is what has made his struggles during his first season in red pinstripes so glaring.

Still, manager Rob Thomson remains confident that the two-time All-Star isn’t far away from re-emerging as the superstar that the Phillies coveted last offseason.

“Every day I feel like that Trea is gonna come out of this,” Thomson said Tuesday night.